hield S
Volume 27, Issue 7
the
April 14,2015
Saint Thom as Aquinas High School
CONTENTS CAMPUS NEWS
OPINIONS
Cheating at Aquinas: 4-7
Aquinas Needs AP Classes: 32-33
Toughest Classes: 10-13
SPORTS
Coming to School Sick for Waivers: 14-15
Division 1 Talent on the Saints’ Baseball Team: 36-37
Running out of Room for State Banners: 17-19
EXTRAS
The Best of Social Media: 8-9
Johnson County Schools Improve Security: 22-23 Magazine Sale Consequences: 24
Tommy Talks: 16 Centerspread: Saintsation: 20-21 Survey Says: 31
FEATURES
Benefits of Wigs Out: 26-27
Clean Joke of April: 34
Coach Chip Ahern Battles Cancer: 28-30
Cap That: 35
Cover Photo by Anthony George Blaire Butler dances in the Talent Show to the acoustic version of Shake it Off by Florence and the Machine.
THE
10
Last Look: 38-39
Countdown 3
Days to Wigs O ut
35
Days to Grad uatio n
to s y a D g Sprin pics Olym
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 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.
Campus News
The Cheating Conundrum
By Alex Kinnan
“It’s pretty obvious what the easy way out is.”
“It’s not worth very many points; if it’s homework it doesn’t matter.”
“I feel like I have to cut corners in order to get a good grade.”
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In 2014 the minimum GPA requirement needed to get a scholarshp to Kansas State University was a 3.5, and at the University of Notre Dame a 4.0 was needed just for consideration. These high standards along with the rising cost of college tuition, up nearly 30 percent since 2008, are among the many reasons why bright Saint Thomas Aquinas students have found themselves cheating. “Why people cheat probably has not changed much over the years,” English teacher Craig Ewing said. Cheating itself is a broad issue that has found a way to affect almost every Saint Thomas Aquinas
student. With technology in classrooms, cheating is thought to be easier. However, the use of Spark-notes and the internet for homework help was not considered cheating by a majority of teachers surveyed. Father Daniel Schmitz said the church defines cheating as “a form of stealing, stealing answers from someone who possesses them. Teachers and students were able to agree that copying answers on a test was without a doubt cheating.
I Cheat 55.8%
“I like that fact that most all students see copying answers during an exam as cheating. It does give us some common ground,” Ewing said.
Where students and teachers began to disagree was with how helpful homework is.
Campus News
The motives, ethics and that little gray space in the middle of cheating.
I Am Not A Cheater 78.1%
teachers
Only 1.2 percent of students said all of their homework helps them. “I do believe that some homework may not help you. Ewing said. But I do think that most STA
are trying to choose assignments that allow practice, that allow opportunities to get better at a technique or to learn a skill” Anonymous quotes from students pushed the idea that most of their homework was “busywork”
Pressure was also a motive that many students cited as a major factor for them. “Do your parents put more emphasis/pressure on you to get good grades or to be holy? Said Father Daniel Schmitz. I know one that will result in eternal happiness and one that will mean you are lying to yourself
Above results as well as anonymous quotes, were gathered from a survey of 260 students.
and others who think you earned the grade” When it comes to how students justify cheating, many students said that they simply cheat because everyone else does. One anonymous student said that they “are being put at an academic disadvantage if they don’t”. On a national level, The Atlantic reported that 70 percent of American high schoolers have admitted to cheating. At Aquinas, that number falls to 56 percent. However only 16.5 percent of students would call themselves a cheater. “A bad reputation pierces the heart, makes us shy away from a label.” Father said.
‘I cheat on what I know doesn’t matter.” “It’s not fair to fall behind while cheaters are prospering.”
“The chances of getting caught are low and everyone else is doing it.”
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Campus News
What Saints Said. What do you consider cheating?
“I know it’s bad and I felt bad even while I was doing it.” “It is guaranteed success with not very much effort.” “I want to get a good night’s sleep. I just don’t have time to get all my homework done.”
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Copying notes - 8.1% Copying homeowork from peer - 55.4% Copying homework from web - 29.6% copying answers on a test - 88.8% Using Sparknotes - 13.8% Getting test questions before test - 58.8%
Are you a cheater?
16.5% Yes
No 78.1% 5.4% did not answer
Some students cited the school’s academic policies as factors that lead them to cheat. Students said the school’s athletic eligibility
requirements force them in certain situations to chose between cheating and letting their team down. Another student said
they cheat on homework when they forget it at home in order to avoid the consequences of the school’s strict late work policy.
“Aquinas has high expectations, so yes there will be more cheating with high expectations,” Ewing said.
Campus News Results based on 260 students and 45 teachers, surveyed by The Shield. Both surveys were anonymous.
24.6% of students cheat because of high expectations
27.7% of students cheat because of lack of time
About Half 31.2%
None 14.2% All of it 1.2%
x
7
x 6 days x 7 days x
8
7 days
x days x
.5
x
1.5
6 days 2
7 days
= =
hours at school hours of sleep/night
5
56 24 17.5
hours per shift at work
=
10
hours getting ready for day/bed (hygiene) together
=
10.5
*not counting church, service hours, school events, or family dinners This is an example from
156
Try out the Shield’s “free time” calculator. Use #freetimeshield on twitter and instagram to share how much free time you have with the Shield.
35
= homework hours per day = hours driving to/from school =
4 hours of sport/music practice 2.5
Some 40.8%
Most of it 10.8%
How Free are You? 5 days
How much of your homework is helpful?
3
5 days
x
x days x 7 days x 7 days
__ days x days
x
= =
hours at school hours of sleep/night hours of sport/music practice
=
homework hours per day = hours driving to/from school
=
hours per shift at work
=
hours getting ready for day/bed = (hygiene) together *not counting church, service hours, hours per week school events, or family dinners hours per week
168
senior Derek Engel.
7 days
x
168
1.2 percent did not answer above
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the best of
Aquinas
social media
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Campus News
Supplying the Work, Demanding the Effort
By Daniel Petracek
The Saint Thomas Aquinas staff is known for pushing students to their full potential. These teachers, in particular, make sure their students are prepared for the next level of education. Just about every high school student has that one class, and at a school that is as academically successful as Aquinas, there is no shortage of challenging classes throughout a student’s four years. Three of the traditionally toughest classes are Greg Wilson’s Latin I, Sui Sum Olson’s Honors Chemistry I and Sue Waters’ Honors English IV. These are the classes freshmen hear about heading into Aquinas and the ones alumni remember long after they graduate.
Latin I and Honors Latin I
Greg Wilson’s Latin class has almost been a staple in every freshman’s schedule
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since Aquinas opened. He has taught Latin at Aquinas for all 27 years, the only subject he has taught at the school. The Shield conducted a survey asking students what they consider to be the toughest class at Aquinas. When asked if he was surprised that his Latin class was a popular answer, Wilson said, “No, I think foreign languages are just innately hard because they’re new, there’s a lot of stuff to memorize and the only way to master it is by homework.” Two trademarks of Wilson’s class are the take-home Roman history test over Thanksgiving break and the second semester Latin presentation.
Some students dread these big projects, but Wilson has a different perspective. “Part of the purpose is to give kids the chance to get a really good grade if they work hard,” Wilson said. He mentioned that if students take good notes first semester, then the Roman history test should not be difficult. As for the Latin presentation, many students stress about it because they wait until the last minute. Wilson acknowledges the workload he gives his students. He said, “There is a lot of homework in Latin because we are trying to master difficult concepts.” He estimates that he assigns 30-45
minutes of homework a couple times a week. Wilson also mentioned that, ideally, students would review their Latin notecards three times a week, and also spend time on their Latin notebooks. This requires students to designate a bit more time to Latin each week. Wilson said, “[Vicki] Schroeder and I both take Latin very seriously. We think it is really important and good for kids. It helps them in all their subjects by learning good study habits, and it will help them with next year when they learn a modern language.” This year, Wilson has two classes of Honors Latin I. Honors Latin classes are taught
Honors Chemistry I
Photo by Daniel Petracek | The Shield
Wilson writes on the board as he teaches his Latin I class about the future tense. He has his students use the Cornell note-taking method, which divides notes into three sections: notes, questions about key points, and summary.
at an accelerated pace and are assigned more work. In addition, honors students are not typically allowed retakes, and they cannot use their grammar notecard
(cheat sheet) during quizzes and tests as often as students in regular Latin. “The workload is hard. The grading system is easy,” Wilson said about his class.
He advises his students to avoid procrastinating, take good notes, study vocabulary on a regular basis and ask questions.
Sui Sum Olson has been teaching at Aquinas for 15 years and every year she has taught Honors Chemistry I. Chemistry is usually taken during an Aquinas student’s sophomore year. Olson realizes that her class is not one of the easier ones at Aquinas. She challenges students to not simply memorize facts, but to find answers by inferring and using problem-solving skills. “I try to get students to problem solve a lot, think for themselves and get an answer based on prior knowledge. I want the students to know why the answer is correct. I want students to work harder for the answers and to train their mental, cognitive processes,” Olson said. “Students may not be use to develop higher thinking skills, critical thinking skills, so, in that sense, [the class] is harder.” The unit that involves “building on stoichiometry to do limiting and excess reactants” is likely the most difficult part of the course, according to Olson. She said,
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Campus News “It involves a lot more calculations and it pulls in everything that is learned from the course.” Olson estimates that she assigns about an average of an hour of homework a night. “Once [the students] struggle through the homework, they come out understanding better at the other end,” Olson said. “The tests are an application on what is learned in class.
If they are not able to grasp the full concept, the test will be hard, but for some students it is easy because they have understood the material.” Olson said that 20 percent or less of her Honors Chemistry students are typically exempt from the final each semester. Many students tend to use their waivers for her class if they have above an 86 percent
but below a 96 percent. About her class, Olson said, “I do not ask students to memorize a lot. I stress more on understanding and application.” Olson advises her students to be consistent about doing homework, get help immediately and ask questions in class if something is not understood.
Photo by Daniel Petracek | The Shield Olson gets her sophomore students involved as she performs a demonstration with the class. This demo displayed how capillary action produces paper chromatography. After watching up close, the students go back to the desks and write what occured in the demo.
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Honors English IV Sue Waters’ Honors English IV hopefully protects seniors from a full-blown case of “senioritis.” Students with lackadaisical study habits will not fare well in classes like this one. Waters has been teaching at Aquinas since its beginning, and for the majority of those years, she has taught Honors English IV. Many seniors that take Honors English IV consider it to be their toughest class. Waters said, “It’s a college credit class and honors seniors class, so it should be challenging.” “We study big stuff and a lot of it. Since it’s a college composition credit, there is a lot of writing and a lot they have to do on their own that we don’t allow class time for, like writing papers and doing research,” Waters said. On the topic of the workload, Waters said, “If they did homework in little pieces, instead of waiting until the last minute to do homework, maybe it would be half an hour [per night], but when they put everything off until before the second
it is due, it feels like a lot.” Waters mentioned that there is a stretch in January in which there is a lot of reading, writing and thinking that took a lot of students’ time outside of class. During second semester, there is a project for which students have to write a certain number of papers, but they are not all due at once. This requires students to not procrastinate and to effectively use their
Photo by Daniel Petracek | The Shield Waters explains an assignment as she passes out papers to her 5th hour class. She has five Honors English IV classes and is the only teacher who teaches this senior course.
time. If students are taking Honors English IV as a college credit, they are not allowed to be exempt from the final or waive it. Waters has changed the way she has taught the course a bit over the years. She said, “I think that there is more student responsibility and more student choice. It’s more about
the students taking responsibility for what happens in the class, I hope.” Water hopes her students don’t put things off, stay involved in the class, work hard and have fun.
Though students may find these classes and others challenging, the teachers all
have the intention of preparing students for future courses. The message with these classes is that students must work hard to earn a good grade. With wise time management, solid study skills and a good work ethic, the tougher classes at Aquinas will be more helpful than hurtful for students.
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Campus News
In Sickness and in Health By Ezri Killeen Journalistic Composition Student
The students of Saint Thomas Aquinas have decided that sacrificing their health is worth their waivers.
The Aquinas Student Handbook states that any student with an 86 percent semester grade or above is eligible for one exam waiver if that student meets specific criteria. One criteria is that the student has not missed more than a total of eight block periods of that semester. The only exceptions are school field trips and funerals. Everything else, including illness, counts towards the loss of the waiver. “I see many kids come to school sick because they don’t want to lose that waiver,” Aquinas nurse Stephanny Saucedea said. “That waiver is everything to them.” 86.1 percent of 294 students surveyed said that they have come to school sick before. Students will come to school with just about any illness to get their waiver. When asked how sick would be too sick to come to school, senior Russell Brown said, “I think I’d have to have Ebola, or something.” Of the same students that were surveyed, a large amount responded that they would stay home from school if they were so sick they had to see a doctor. An even larger number responded
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that they would come to school no be home when they were sick, but still keep their waivers. matter what. This is where the question of “Sometimes I see certain how everyone gets sick arises. There are a variety of reasons kids go overboard, because they have just got to get to school, and students are getting sick around Aquinas. It is more “They (Aquinas students) don’t really get sick a lot enjoyable to come compared to some of the other to school sick schools,” Saucedea said. She than it is to take also said that they feel pressure finals. to be here, which is good, but sometimes they feel so much Russell Brown pressure that they come to school Senior sick. The students coming to school not get behind,” Saucedea said. sick, especially during flu and cold Last semester alone, Brown season, create a communicable came to school roughly seven cross-contamination issue. times when he should have This basically means that stayed home because of illness. they are contagious, and are contaminating surfaces with their His sophomore year, he came to school vomiting, and had to germs. retreat to the bathroom to throw Because students come and up during passing periods. go in classrooms, and all use the “It is more enjoyable to come same desks, there is a hazard. to school sick than it is to take Germs are left from the first finals,” Brown said. student, and are picked up by the He even has theorized that following four students. The tables are if everyone started to come to washed down as often as they can be, school sick, soon the whole but teachers can’t be expected to wipe school would be sick, and the them down between every class. administration would have to Airborne viruses are also close school for a couple days. floating around the school because of This would allow for students to
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students coming to school sick. Unfortunately, there is little to be done about those, other than students covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze. They are more likely to spread among the students indoors, when they are all packed together. But getting sick is not all due to other students. In fact, being around a student that came to school sick is less likely to infect someone than touching an unclean surface is. Freshman biology teacher Julianna Hendricks has her class do an experiment every year in which the students swab places around the school and grow bacteria in petri dishes. The students are assigned different places in the school to swab with a q-tip. The sample is then rubbed against nutrient agar that is in a petri dish, and the petri dish is left to incubate for 24 to 48 hours. Then, the
bacteria is examined. This year, the places with the most bacteria were the stair rails and the library computer keyboards. The bacteria was mostly waterborne bacteria, from coughs and sneezes. There was also
“
I feel like [the Aquinas students] do feel lots of pressure to come to school sick because of the waiver Stephany Saucedea School Nurse
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bacteria from people not washing their hands. “Number one reason that people pick up germs, mainly, is hand-washing,” Saucedea said. Students who wash their hands will wash off the germs
Since there is a waiver policy, how sick would you have to be to NOT come to school?
they have picked up. This way, they are less likely to get sick. But ultimately, it comes down to students staying home when they are too sick. Generally, the term “sick” constitutes a 100 degree fever and vomiting. But that is not always the case. Saucedea sometimes sees kids who have different symptoms, like a headache or sore throat. Saucedea said, “Sometimes you just have to play it by ear. Sometimes I will send them home if I feel like they exhibit those signs or symptoms.” Saucedea doesn’t generally send more than two or three kids home a day. She will send them home if they are so symptomatic that they can’t function in class. “I feel like [the Aquinas students] do feel lots of pressure to come to school sick because of the waiver,” Saucedea said.
1% Runny Nose
Cold 4% 14% Fever
I’m coming to school 33% no matter what
19% Flu
29% Doctor visit needed
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TommyTalks The Resurrection, chocolate bunnies, and cheesy potatoes go together in the best way don’t they (can I get an ALLELUIA)? I hope you had a great Easter Saints!!! Now that Easter is over, we only have a few weeks left together. Make the most of it! Buy your favorite lunch, get your grades up before finals, go to a school sporting event! Juniors and seniors rocked it out at Starlight Theatre for PROM! What a fun night at such a cool location! But there is still more fun yet to come: - Spring Olympics is April 17th. Get ready! - Wigs Out is April 24th. Tommy is shaving his head. Are you? - Walk for Life is April 25th. Come out and save the babies!!! - AP Tests in early May (jk they aren’t actually fun, but good luck!) Treasure the last moments of this school year, there is not much time left. Things are going great for the Saints. Our sports are doing well (no surprise there), the weather is great, many fun events coming up, and Kentucky lost a basketball game. All good things, nothing to complain about! So smile, keep your head up, rock on, and stay smoother than a fresh jar of skippy! Ya boy.
Tommy
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Send
After winning the 2011 State Championship, debate coach Steven DuBois gave a most memorable speech at the championship assembly. Referencing the popular basketball saying “ball don’t lie,” DuBois delivered the famous Wall Don’t Lie speech that is now a trademark for Aquinas athletics.
“Banners are about proving. Every single one of the banners... represents a group of St. Thomas Aquinas students who didn’t just claim to be the best... and at the end of the process, there was an objective answer of who the best was. They claimed. We proved. Ball don’t lie.”
“God doesn’t just want you to pray. God also gave you talents. He also gave you abilities. And you give glory to God by taking the abilities he gave you and making the most of them that you possibly can. And every one of those banners represents a set of students who celebrated God’s glory by putting the talents that God gave them to use.”
WALL DON’T LIE
WALL DON’T LIE
“I’d like to call your attention to the wall behind me. We seem to be runnning out of wall at the moment.”
“Yes, we serve God first. Yes, we serve the community second. But if you take a look at those banners you know that sooner or later, when you are dealing with Saint Thomas Aquinas, EVERYBODY will get served.”
By Jackson McElroy page 17 g
Campus News
BANNERS: WHERE WILL THEY GO? By Jackson McElroy
Lined with 86 state championship banners, the gym is quickly running out of space for more.
Back in 1992, the first state championship banner was hung in the Saint Thomas Aquinas gymnasium. 85 championships later, the gym is packed with banners. Since the Saints show no signs of stopping their dominance, decisions will have to be made on where to put the next banners. The location of the next banner is still up in the air. Activities Director Sarah Burgess said nothing has been heavily discussed in regarding the placement of the banners. Her first choice would be to move the 21 runner-up banners on the back wall of the main gym into the auxiliary gym. Burgess thinks that over the summer banners will probably have to be rehung, with the
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runner-ups moved to the aux gym. She offered an idea for future banners. “I thought it would be neat to go across the center of the court. Down the middle, looping around the gym in the future,” Burgess said. This is similar to what Allen Fieldhouse does with the University of Kansas’s basketball banners, but this is nothing more than an idea for Aquinas. Burgess does not want any banners taken down or consolidated either. “Really old banners won’t be retired or sold. We will make room.” Head soccer coach and winner of 31 state championships Craig Ewing agrees that the best short-term solution is moving the runner-ups
to the aux gym. When more room is needed, Ewing loves how Aquinas has maintained Ewing suggested that some of the older banners athletic success since the first championship was be moved into the back hallways won by the 1992 girls golf team. He surrounding the gym. believes Aquinas is so successful When you Golf coach Ryan Best believes in sports because of its incredible walk into that tradition, administrative support, and no banners should be boxed up. gym, it is consistency of good coaches. Instead, he thinks older banners overwhelming. “Success breeds more success. could go along the blank walls in the commons to make room for the We want to keep You have to have athletes first. Then athletes who buy in.” newer ones in the gym. Having eight that effect. Time will tell where the long-term runner-up finishes, boys golf has two banners will go. None will be stored runner-up banners in the gym. Best SARAH BURGESS away, or consolidated, though. does not see moving them to the aux Activities Director “When you walk into that gym, it gym as an issue. is overwhelming. We want to keep “I would understand moving the that effect,” Burgess said. runner-up banners to the aux gym, it is a great problem to have.”
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BOYS SOCCER GIRLS SOCCER
20
TH
GIRLS GOLF
LARGEST 5A SCHOOL IN THE STATE OF KANSAS--SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS HIGH SCHOOL
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY VOLLEYBALL GIRLS TRACK&FIELD GIRLS BASKETBALL BOYS GOLF D E B A T E BASEBALL SCHOLAR’S BOWL SOFTBALL BOYS TENNIS GIRLS TENNIS WRESTLING FORENSICS
GIRLS SWIMMING BOYS TRACK&FIELD
55 CHAMPIONSHIPS 17 CHAMPIONSHIPS
SINCE 2005, THE RETURN TO 5A
in the four years the Class of 2015 has been at Aquinas, tied for most in KansaS with Shawnee Mission EasT
81
more championships than the largest high school in Kansas, wichita east, since 1988.
25%
OF alL 5a state titles have been won by Aquinas since 2010. page 19 g
Campus News
Public High Schools Outpace Aquinas in Security
By Blythe Dorrian Journalism Composition Student
The Olathe School District and 34 Blue Valley Schools updated their school security systems last summer, and this summer the Shawnee Mission School District is planning on doing the same. What is Aquinas doing to follow their lead and make our school safer? All schools in Johnson County differ in school security standards. They all have different buildings, so the way they use their resources is different. All of the schools follow “Safe Schools,” a branch within the Department of Education, which is based out of Topeka. Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and Shawnee Mission South High School are among the schools that follow these rules. All schools follow the same rules such as participating in one lockdown every year, and practicing other drills in the same fashion. Officer Ken Ufford, St. Thomas Aquinas Resource Officer, and Mike Sullivan, principal of student services, are the administrative team who makes up the security rules at St. Thomas Aquinas. They have the power to change the rules as long as it goes through the Diocese of Kansas City, Kansas. They work with a company called Strategos to make sure the rules
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are fair. As far as specific rules go, St. Thomas Aquinas does not have any. They follow the same rules as the other schools in the area. However, they have a handbook that is unique to the school. The handbook covers all rules from dress code to tornado drills. Compared to other schools, St. Thomas Aquinas is more lenient when it comes to security standards. They do not have metal detectors or backpack checks. Some schools, such as Spring Hill High School and Pittsburg High School, demand backpack checks and metal detector checks every morning before school starts. Both Ufford and Sullivan agree that “If you see something, say something” is the most important rule for security. They concur that if anyone sees, or thinks that they see, something suspicious to report it. The situation may be harmless, but
the preventive awareness can help prevent possible danger. Ufford said that if he could improve the security at St. Thomas Aquinas he would add a pinch point door, or more controlled access. He would prefer that the door by sophomore/ teacher lot be the only door that unlocks. He said that he would like to have the officer’s station by that unlocked door, so he could watch who comes in and out of the school at all times. Sullivan said that he would get rid of the existing front door and extend St. Mary’s to the main building. He said that these projects are next on the school improvements list coming in a few years. With the idea of pinch point doors, Sullivan thought that the wait involving the pinch point doors would not be bad, as the wait would be worth the inconvenience to prevent school disasters.
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At Shawnee Mission South, the Shawnee Mission School District and the Security Director make up the rules. All of the staff members at the school have certain responsibilities during drills to ensure the safety of students. Officer Spandle, Shawnee Mission South Resource Officer, said that some administrative teams do not work well together, and that “they are glad they have such an awesome team (security) at South.” Spandle said that the most important rule for security is to practice and rehearse procedures. “Remember the mind cannot go where the mind has not already been.” Furthermore, “if the staff were to check in with the students suffering with mental illness, everyone would benefit.“ This summer, Shawnee Mission South is getting a redesigned front entrance. The purpose is to channel and funnel visitors into a single “pinch point.” Each school in the Shawnee Mission District will have a police officer stationed by the new entrance. Once school starts, the doors will remain locked. Each visitor will pass the Raptor System. The Raptor System is the new system that was recently installed in all Shawnee Mission schools. The system scans the visitor’s driver’s license, which will go through the system’s database and one outside database to check the background of the person. Each visitor is required to sign in and out of the school by the Raptor System. The new system allows the police officer to write passes for the guest once they are checked. Shawnee Mission hopes that this system helps control visitor traffic in schools. Thirty-four Blue Valley school
We want to be very transparent. We want people to feel safe and secure, but at the same time not burdened with security. We feel like the solutions we have here do that.
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DAVE HILL Director of Operations for the Blue Valley Schools
“Adding pinch point doors would probably not have stopped school shootings like Columbine or Sandy Hook, but they could help,” Sullivan said. The shooter in Sandy Hook shot the glass outside of the doors, so the doors themselves would not guarantee the school be shooting free. For the schools in Johnson County, deciding how much security is needed is the main question. Shawnee Mission has installed the Raptor System, and St. Thomas Aquinas hopes to update their standards in the coming years. Schools are still deciding if they need to fix the security in their school, how to do so, and what the possibilities are for security in the future.
and the Olathe School District have also updated their school security within the last year. “We want to be very transparent, we want people to feel safe and secure, but at the same time not burdened with security. We feel like the solutions we have here do that,” said Dave Hill, the Director of Operations for the Blue Valley Schools in an online news article by KMBC. Ever since the Sandy Check out JCCC scholarships. Hook and Application deadline is May 1. Columbine school Visit jccc.edu and search for shootings, "scholarships" for more details. school security has become an important debate.
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Campus News
Consequences of the Magazine Sale By Jade Steffensmeier Journalism Composition Student
“
I think that there is a market out there. However, I am more than willing to listen to the students because this is the students’ campaign. TERESA AHRENS Director of Special Events
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The lack of participation in the annual magazine sale at Saint Thomas Aquinas is threatening the funding of student activities. The money made from the magazine sale supports things like prom, spirit buses, and student council activities. The results have been slowly dwindling over the past few years. If Aquinas students don’t start selling magazines or if the school doesn’t switch to a different way of raising money, some funded activities may be in grave danger. Students aren’t participating as much as they used to, because magazines aren’t as popular as they once were. A shocking 56 percent of Aquinas students say they didn’t even attempt to sell
magazines. Students claim that they were just too lazy, or that no one they knew wanted to buy magazines. “It’s a pain,” “nobody’s got time for that,” and “pointless and not worth it” were some student responses from an anonymous survey. It is likely that family members will purchase magazines if students put in the energy. Executive Student Council leader Holly Hanson said, “There’s a common belief that people don’t read magazines; but people do, and you’d be surprised…I think that if people actually tried more they would be surprised that they can sell at least one or two to their parents or their grandparents.” Some students suggest that we need to switch to selling something else, however this is much easier said than done. The magazine sale has remained the
same through the years because Aquinas has worked with this company for many years, it is quick, doesn’t take up class time, and is very profitable. The idea of switching to a better alternative has been taken into consideration. “It wouldn’t be difficult to switch to something else, we just have to find the right thing. We just have to come up with the right fit,” said Director of Special Events Teresa Ahrens, who has direct involvement behind the scenes of the magazine sale. “For me personally I think that there is a market out there. However, I am more than willing to listen to the students because this is the students’ campaign.” Whether we switch to something else or not, student participation is still a pressing issue. Our student activities depend on the money raised from student fundraising. “As a lot of kids know, we have a really nice prom. It’s at Starlight and Union Station and there’s rumors of it being at a new place, but if we don’t get funding for prom it will be at Aquinas,” said Hanson. The money directly benefits the Aquinas student body, so not selling any only hurts the students. Ahrens said, “Without the funds, the school wouldn’t be impacted, the students would be. You’ll lose programs; you’ll lose funding for your fun activities.” page 25 g
Locks to Rock Cancer Girls donate hair to fight back against the disease that profoundly impacts our community
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We are gonna kick cancer’s butt someday. Whether it’s next month, or in 2032. Maggie Gould
Seven years ago a little boy was diagnosed with cancer and his aunt, Saint Thomas Aquinas teacher Kim Harrison, decided to cut her hair in support. This was the start of Wigs Out. What started as one teacher’s decision to show support to a family member has grown into an event that, after this year’s ceremony, is responsible for 1,000 ponytails donated.
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Each year speakers are brought into the event to demonstrate cancer’s impact on our community. This year’s speakers are Guided Studies teacher Charles Lamont, and Braden’s Hope founder Deliece Hofen. Deliece and her son, Braden, have both had cancer. Deliece is especially moved by the donation of hair by the girls because she could only afford a fake hair wig that she hardly
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Everything goes to rocking cancer for good. Maddy McCormick
wore when she had cancer. “ I used to forget I didn’t have a hat on and when a salesperson would come knock on the front door and I would answer it they would make an excuse to leave quickly,” Deliece said. Throughout her experiences with cancer, Deliece has focused on staying positive. “Cancer is a dark thing and we choose
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to ignore the bad and make good [of it],” Deliece said. Similarly Charles Lamont put a focus on staying positive in his own experiences with cancer. When Lamont spoke at the ceremony in 2012, he began by proclaiming that he loves cancer. “While it is sad there can be brightness brought out of that sadness,” Lamont said. His wife’s battle with cancer allowed him
“It’s about making people with cancer feel confident through a wig when the rest of their body is doing crazy things.” Sydney Lutz
“It makes me so proud to see these young women do this willingly … it just makes my heart burst” Charles Lamont
to question things in ways that he never had before. “It made me realize that health and our time on Earth is fleeting and it can be gone in a second,” Lamont said. While the ceremony focuses on a few speakers, a slideshow is shown of other people connected to Aquinas who have battled cancer making the connection much more real. “[The slide show] shows that cancer can hit anybody at anytime,” Lamont said. “It doesn’t know any age, it doesn’t know skin color, it doesn’t know position in life, it hits corporate lawyers and it hits cab drivers.” The Shield sent out a survey asking students how cancer had impacted their own lives. Though the responses were varied, cancer hits home for many students at Aquinas. Senior Maddy McCormick and sophomore Itsy McCormick lost their grandpa to cancer
she couldn’t remember in November, Senior things, and when she Sydney Lutz lost her mother in the 5th grade, did, you could tell she would just be so and Freshman Maggie annoyed with herself, Gould lost her mother because she couldn’t earlier this year. Watching a family control her thoughts,” member suffer from Maggie said. cancer is difficult to say The McCormick sisters watched the least. Maggie and their grandpa’s body Sydney both grew up without being able to deteriorate over the two remember a time when months between being their moms diagnosed were My mom was the with healthy. strongest person stage four Both girls pancreatic ever. She battled watched cancer cancer for ten years. and his their mother She never gave up. death. Through deteriorate Maggie Gould as they all the pain Class of 2018 grew up, that comes especially with towards watching a the end of loved one their lives. suffer, all four girls “She became a could share in Lamont’s shell of the woman I sentiment that for all the once looked up to,” sad some brightness Sydney said about can still be found. her mother’s last few “With all the bad it brings,it always brings months. Mrs. Gould’s cancer the family together,” eventually spread to the Maddy said. Sydney became liver which affected her closer to her family as mind and as a result a result of her mother’s her ability to remember illness and looked at life things. “She had no idea, differently.
“I am more thankful for life because I’ve seen it taken away,” she said. Maggie also grew closer to her dad and brother while gaining a new appreciation for her own strength and for her parents. “For all of those kids that are embarassed to be with their parents, just stop and spend time with them because you will have all those memories to look back … and you will be happy you spent time with them,” she said. This year’s theme for Wigs Out is “We Will Rock You,” and, though cancer has an undenaible impact, the Saints are fighting back. “I don’t think that the hair goes to wigs for the women is as important as that these girls are saying that if they don’t have any hair and have to go through the painful cancer, then the least we can do its to cut 8 inches off of our hair,” Maggie said.
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Features
Ahern’s Impact on the
Turf & Court By Jordan Eberhardy
Photo by Bernie Concannon
Coach Chip Ahern instructs senior Nathan Stukel on the sidelines of the state championship game.
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Coach Chip Ahern maintained an important role with the football and basketball teams this past year, even during his battle with cancer. “He refused to take a day off. It was very difficult for anyone in our program to feel sorry for themselves when Coach was fighting his battle and still finding the courage to come out and work with our team,” said Head Football Coach Randy Dreiling of Coach Chip Ahern. Ahern has completed four years on the football coaching staff and is preparing for his fifth. He is also the only man to be recruited to coach by every single football coach that Aquinas has ever had. Coach Dreiling says that Ahern is one of the reasons he chose to come to Aquinas and that his energy provides a huge catalyst for the team
every day at practice. “I coach on the defensive side of the football and I work primarily with the Willy linebackers,” said Ahern. “I’m a team player and just try to do what I’m told, but I put my own personality into it to get the job done.” Ahern has also completed seven years coaching with the basketball staff. Head Basketball Coach Sean Reilly said that though Ahern mainly coaches freshman boys, he is interested in all of the players, all the way up to the varsity level. Even when he had to miss a couple of weeks during the basketball season, he remained very invested. “He would have daily phone calls
to Coach Gerstner concerning his players, and he also had me provide game footage of varsity games so he could analyze players and scout. Simply amazing,” Reilly said. Ahern discovered that he had cancer in his lip in 2013. This past football season, the cancer metastasized to the lymph nodes in his neck. He and his family decided that it would be best to have surgery as soon as possible, and the first good opportunity for this fell on Halloween, the night of the football game against Pittsburg. “That night I listened to the game on the radio and also had one of my sons giving me a play-by-play,” said
Ahern. Quarterback Karter Odermann said, “After his surgery, he came back to practice the following Monday. I wasn’t expecting him to be back until around the state game and it was just amazing to see him at practice only a few days after having that kind of surgery.” After the surgery, Ahern also went through radiation and chemotherapy. As of the beginning of April, he has received a perfect bill of health. He said that the Aquinas community played a huge role in supporting him throughout his fight with cancer. “From the Wigs Out program to just the little things like people praying for
"The support of the AquinAs community is overwhelming. It is pretty speciAl And my fAmily And I AppreciAte it so much." page 29 g
Features me, the support of the Aquinas community is overwhelming. It is pretty special and my family and I appreciate it so much,” said Ahern. Ahern received his treatment from KU Medical Center. He says that he would recommend their care to anyone having to face cancer like he did. “They are second to none and put the patients so far ahead of everything else,” said Ahern. No matter the sport or the circumstances, Coach Chip Ahern’s commitment to strong relationships with his players is evident. Senior Chris Bollig recalls how Ahern would always ask the players about how their day had gone and about what they had learned in school. Coach Dreiling said that Ahern couldn’t attend the end of season football banquet, but when he found out that Nathan Stukel had won the Defensive MVP award, he so was so happy that he cried, since Stukel played the position that Ahern coached. “Coach Ahern has handled his fight with courage, dignity, and grace. He has never expressed self-pity, but rather a fighting spirit that is an inspiration to us all,” said Coach Reilly. Photo by Bernie Concannon
Coach Chip Ahern talks to the football team during halftime.
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Flat-rate tuition.
Less than two hours away.
Pittsburg State University www.pittstate.edu • Pittsburg, Kansas
Layout by Anthony George
Sur ey Says Where did you go for Spring Break 2015?
Who did you spend the break with?
Neither 24%
Both
The Most Popular Spring Break Destinations:
25%
29%
Family
22% Friends
Does the Easter Bunny still bring you a basket?
16% No Yes 81%
Did you keep your Lenten promise? never started
17%
14%
3%
Never has
How do you celebrate the Ressurection of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus?
kept to it 100% 11% Neither
barely at all
Easter Mass 75%
21%
14%
48% for the most part
Easter Vigil
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Opinions
Aquinas Needs AP Courses
Saint Thomas Aquinas students are at a disadvantage without Advanced Placement (AP) courses.
By Janie Bachkora
Students who plan on attending universities that don’t accept community college credits are put at a disadvantage because Saint Thomas Aquinas does not offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Aquinas offers honors classes and the opportunity to earn college credit through College Now through Johnson County Community College (JCCC) but unlike most of the public schools in the Johnson County area they don’t offer AP classes.
Why Aquinas doesn’t offer AP courses
“The whole time I’ve been here we have never labeled any class as AP, and I have asked and I think the feeling is that it’s a system that’s not broken so why try to fix it,” said College Counselor Barb Bruns. Academic Principal Brian Schenck said, “I don’t know the full reason [that Aquinas doesn’t offer AP classes] because a lot of that was decided before we took over.” Schenck said, “The College Board who runs the AP program has you jump through a lot of hoops for them. You have to set curriculum a certain way, and you have to meet certain requirements that could limit our courses.” According to Bruns, teachers also have to be certified by The College Board because, for example, every class that calls itself “AP Calculus” has to be teaching the same thing. Schenck said, “We prefer to go the College Now route just because it doesn’t require you to have everything on one day like the AP test does. Most of the kids get their credits to transfer.”
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Why Aquinas should offer AP courses
Students who can’t get JCCC credits to transfer can earn credit by taking an AP test. For English teacher Craig Ewing’s Honors Composition II class this isn’t difficult since Ewing teaches the test to his students. But for other classes, students have to prepare individually. It’s unfair that most students taking the AP test have spent an entire year being taught the material by a certified AP teacher while Aquinas students have had to teach themselves the material. Not offering AP course does not hurt students in the admissions process because “it says on our school profile that we do not offer AP courses so any AP credit that a prospective student had earned looks very good because it shows that they took the initiative to prepare and study for the test and any credit they earned was self-taught,” Bruns said. It does, however, hurt them in the long run. Because Aquinas students have less of an opportunity to earn AP credit, they enter college with less credit hours, can’t skip introductory classes, and have a harder time double majoring.
Aquinas is content with only benefiting students who plan on attending universities that accept College Now credit, but they shouldn’t be. As a Blue Ribbon School, we should be encouraging our students to reach their full potential. We should be pushing them to apply to the elite private schools that don’t accept College Now credit. We should be giving them an opportunity to enter college with many credit hours so that they can potentially double major or graduate early.
The Benefits of AP Courses
Information provided by the official College Board website: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org
Stand Out in College Admissions
Save Money
College admissions counselors know that you are accustomed to the demands and rigor of college classes when they see “AP” on you transcript. By earning credit in high school, students can save on college tuition, study abroad, or secure a second major. AP tests cost $91 and students could potentially earn 6 hours. One credit hour at JCCC is $72. One credit hour at KU is $318.
Earn College AP classes and tests allow students to earn college credit in Credits 34 different courses.
you earn a qualifying score on the AP Exam, you avoid Skip Ifrequired introductory courses and move directly into upperIntroductory level classes and focus on what interests you most. Already credit before college starts gives you free time to do a Classes having second major or minor.
Build College AP courses taught by AP certified teachers prepare you for Skills the difficulty-levels of college courses.
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CLEAN OF
JOKE
April
Why did the stoplight get embarrassed?
You would too if you had to change in the middle of the street. Submitted by Junior Austin Zuniga
Submit your school-appropriate joke to newspaper@stasaints.net for a chance for your joke to be featured in the next issue of The Shield
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CapThat Last Issue:
Winning Caption: “HUG ME BROTHAA!” Submitted by: Senior Liz Conard
e c n a D A P W
Photo by
Medallion
This Issue:
2/14/15
Staff
4/1/15
Photo by
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Talent Show
the Antho
ny Georg
e I The Sh
ield Staff
Sports Photo by Lexi Pint | The Medallion
Junior Riley Pint pitches in the State Championship game May 30th. The Saints defeated Blue Valley Southwest
Saints Swing for College
Aquinas’ baseball team has four players that are taking their talents to the next level and playing baseball in college.
By Jordan Bartz
Garrett Hutson will be pitching for in Houston Texas next fall which is a strong member of the NJCAA and a consistent winner. Head Baseball Coach Lorne Parks said, “Garrett is one of those kids who is a very good athlete and who
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has the natural ability to play basically any position. He can play in the infield or outfield and he is also a very good pitcher.” Hutson said, “I really wanna play here because they are known for developing their power pitchers and get-
ting them drafted. They also have the most trips to the NJCAA World Series so you can bet they will have a chance at winning the championship every year.” Parks said, “As a pitcher Garrett has a low-90s fastball that he throws very accurately
with control.” Hutson’s goal is not only to win a state championship this year but he also plans on taking it to the next level. “I told the guys that since they won it last year that we are gonna not only win it but go
undefeated in the process” Hutson said. Hutson has been playing since the age 5 and said he loves to play because of the fun nature of the game. “There is a lot of joking around and making amazing connections with your teammates that I just don’t get in other sports as long as as you work hard and put in the time needed” Hutson said. Like many baseball players Hutson has his own version of a superstition. He says that when he is pitching he refuses to talk to anyone at all so that he can be left alone to focus. Playing in the field he says he a lot more laid back its just when he pitches that he secludes himself. Jackson Longhofer Senior pitcher Jackson Longhofer will be taking his talents down I-35 to Emporia where he will play at Emporia State University in the fall. The Emporia State Hornets are currently ranked 6th in the country for Division II schools. Longhofer said, “I really love the city, its close to home and for some reason its just feels like a really good fit.” Parks said, “Jackson is another one of our outstanding pitchers. He will spend most of
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I think what has given me the chance to play in college is the people that are around me that have helped me get to the point that I am now. Blake Lillis Class of 2016
his time this year on the mound coming out of the bullpen utilizing his upper-80s fastball.” Longhofer said, “I don’t think people realize how straight fire our pitching rotation it’s gonna be this year for opposing teams to hit. In my opinion where in a really good situation to win state again this year.” Longhofer started playing baseball in kindergarten and says that he loves playing because comparative to other sports there is a fraction of the exercise but can also still get scholarships for it. “My favorite memory from playing was in second grade when I was running to second base. The second baseman had the ball so I started running in the outfield to dodge him and he kept chasing me out there.” Blake Lillis will be playing at the University of Arkansas after his days at Aquinas.
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Lillis said, “I think what has given me the chance to play in college is the people that are around me that have helped me get to the point that I am now. Parks said, “Blake is one of the kids who can play anywhere in the outfield if needed with great range. He can also throw a mid-to-upper-80s fastball and an above average curve.” Lillis has been playing baseball since he was in preschool and says that his favorite memory was last year in the state semi finals when Tyler Watson hit a walk-off triple to send them to state. Lillis said, “What I love about baseball is how much of a team sport it is. It’s not just one or two guys out there helping the team win. It takes everyone on the team to win and thats why I love it.” Lillis continued, “My hope is to contribute to winning another state title this year in anyway
that I can. Thats the goal this year but we still got a lot of work ahead of us to achieve it.” Riley Pint will be playing in Baton Rouge at Louisiana State University for the Tigers starting the Spring of 2017. Pint said, “LSU has always been one of the best college baseball teams in the country and I have been a huge fan of them ever since I was a little kid.” Parks said, “Riley is another one of the great athletes that can play first and third along with pitching. He is a very good contact hitter on the offensive side while also having a r of many pitches lead by a mid 90’s fastball.” Pint said, “The thing I love most about baseball is being in control of the game while pitching and being able to play with my friends working to another chance at state.” Pint has been playing baseball since he could walk and said that in 4th or 5th grade was when he first thought he could have a future playing the game. “Around that time was when I started going to tournaments all around the country every weekend and we were always one of the better teams in the tournament making a run at the title.”
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Last Look 1
3
2
4
5
Photos by Anthony George | The Shield
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1) Senior Chris Bollig makes a grand entrance at the 2015 Tommy Awards. 2) Senior Jason Frederick used this banner to ask senior Abby Kwapiszeski to prom during the Talent Show. 3) Senior Taylor Sweeney sings Let it Be. Taylor was accompanied by junior Makayla Bassi on the piano. 4) Sophomore Grace Spaniol wow the crowd with her Beethoven-like piano skills. 5) Senior Cari Dodson sings Thinking Out Loud. Cari was accompanied by senior Grace Heiman on the piano. 6) Senior Sara Sullivan keeps the crowd laughing while co-hosting the Tommy Awards with Chris Bollig.
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8
9 10
11
Photo by Tiffany Nguyen I The Medallion
7) Sophomores Kara Stobie and Adam Tritt convey a scene from the winter play M.A.S.H. 8) Brothers Ben and Matthew Walberg get the chance to act together on the Aquinas stage. 9) Senior Jack Dotterweich and freshman Thomas Kennedy engage in a humorous scene form M.A.S.H. 10) Senior Faith Winchel and freshman Nick Whiteside act out trying to flag down a helicopter. 11) Senior Ben Trickey gives orders to his troops in the onstage action.
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g the
g hield S Saint Thomas Aquinas High School