Saint Thomas Aquinas High School | Special Report
@stashield
Acceptance at Aquinas
The Shield February 2016 The Love Will Conquer All Issue Staff Pages / 2 Letter from the Editor / 3 Editorial / 4
The Reports
Gallery / 6 Acceptance / 8 Passions / 12 Mo Knows / 15 Faith into Action / 17 Climate Change / 19 See Something, Say Something / 22 The Coldest Rooms at Aquinas / 23
Blast from the Past Photos on Page 46.
The Spreads
2015 Couples Game / 26 KC’s Hidden Gems / 30 Behind Closed Doors / 32 Social Spread / 34 Survey Spread / 36
The Back Pages
The Dodgeball Wars / 38 I’m in the Band / 40 Icebreaker / 43 Food Review: The Other Place / 44 Last Look / 46 Calendar / 48
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield 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 $3 per issue. Subscriptions can be sent to Saint Thomas Aquinas High School c/o Matt Hallauer. Digital subscriptions are free and sent via email monthy. Orders can be sent to newspaper@stasaints.net 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.
The Shield Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
11411 Pflumm Road Overland Park, KS 66215 913-319-2460
issue 7 volume 28 Editor-in-Chief Alex Kinnan
Adviser Matt Hallauer
Managing Editor Daniel Petracek
Reporters Annie Gellott Hagan Marozas Ansley Reynolds Seth Walker
Senior Editors Ellie Heit Olivia Rode Connor Ragan Alex Wagner Social Media Editors Connor Ragan Olivia Rode
USA Today Hub
Web friendly versions of our stories, in collaboration with USA Today.
ISSUU
Saint Thomas Aquinas/ full PDF edition.
YouTube
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield / Video reports.
The Shield Online
www. stasaints.net /shield
Snapchat
@stashield
2
Freelance Reporters Becca Haeusser Ezri Killeen Mia Power Luke Doherty Kat Schartz Twitter @stashield
General News and updates from the staff.
@aquinasgameday
Sports scores and alerts.
facebook.com/stashield
Instagram @stashield / Photos and updates from the staff.
February 2016
What Makes a Motto? Looking at the history of “Amor Vincit Omnia.” “Love Will Conquer All” is probably the most recognizable motto that we say here at Saint Thomas Aquinas. It is also the very root of this issue of The Shield, the Amor Vincit Omnia issue. This motto’s roots trace back pretty far; Latin poet Virgil was first quoted using the phrase “amor vincit omnia.” Following him, Middle Ages poet Geoffrey Chaucer translated the phrase to “love conquers all” into his works, allowing the motto to pass into popular usage. However, the motto makes one more appearance prior to our school’s existence. Lionel Richie’s 1986 song “Love will conquer all” enjoyed its spot on the US Billboard Top 100 for a good part of 1986. As Saints, we have redefined
this phrase and made it our own. This issue The Shield’s goal was to show that meaning as best as possible. We looked at how accepting Aquinas can be, through admissions and student life, (Acceptance, Page 8). We took the Top 20 couples of Aquinas and figured out who reigned supreme as The Shield’s Couple of the Year (Whose Love Conquers All?, Page 26). We looked at those with eccentric passions at Aquinas (Passions, Page 12), and those who have a deep love for our Catholic faith. (Faith, Page 17). This issue may or may not convince you what our motto “Amor vincit omnia” truly means. So maybe if we can’t convince you, Lionel Richie can pick up where we left off.
Alex Kinnan Editor-in-Chief The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
3
Countdown
20
Days to Spring Break
42
Days to Prom
81
Days to Graduation
On the cover
Photo taken by Michele Gress. Freshman Max McElroy whips with sophomore Jack Shaw at WPA on Jan. 13.
Awards
In 2015, The Shield was named a First Class publication by the National Scholastic Press Association with Marks of Distinction for coverage, content, writing and editing.
Recycle
When finished with your Shield, the best thing you can do is recycle it and reduce the demand on the world’s landfills.
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
Accept Those Around You, the Aquinas Way BY THE SHIELD STAFF
“A communion of Saints. Growing in knowledge; guided by Catholic values.” This motto is plastered throughout Aquinas. However, its message doesn’t always ring clear. Saint Thomas Aquinas students pride themselves in being a part of a community that feels more like a family than a collection of students, parents and faculty. This is why now more than ever Saints need to accept those around them, rather than judge and reject. The Shield has looked into just how different Aquinas’s admissions process is compared to that of other area private schools. Here
Editorial
at Aquinas, we are more accepting, more open to mistakes and more willing to take in students not wanted elsewhere. This culture of acceptance can and should grow at Aquinas, because compared to other schools it is our greatest attribute. The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield calls on the students, faculty and parents of Saint Thomas Aquinas to capitalize on this as best they can. Promote how accepting Aquinas is of those of all religions and all beliefs, and how Aquinas features programs for those who are not just academically gifted. Students, promote a culture of acceptance for all of your fellow classmates. If we truly
believe the mottos and ideals we promote then we should live them just the same. We need to put our faith into action. Finally, giving students a second chance has the potential to not only change the lives of students that were on a path, but also is present in the very basic teaching of what our school was founded on. We need to do this even if it is not popular, and may seem foolish. Helping up those who have struggled is simply Saint Thomas Aquinas truly being “A communion of Saints.”
Do you have a issue you want The Shield to take a stand on? Email us at newspaper@stasaints.net and we may make it our next editorial.
How The Shield Staff Voted
This editorial is the opinion of the majority of The Shield Staff. Below is a breakdown of the staff’s opinion on this issue.
YES Accept
15 Voted
15
0 Voted
Total Voting Staff Members
4
NO Deny
The Reports What’s inside
19
23
21
Looking at climate change.
The temperature of Aquinas classrooms
Photo Courtesy Michele Gress.
How safe are you at Aquinas?
Senior girls get down on Feb. 13 at their last WPA dance. The
LOVE CONQUERS ALL Issue
8
Special Report: Acceptance at Aquinas.
12
Saints with special passions.
15
Mo knows best.
17
Finding your faith, at Aquinas
26
2016 Couples Game.
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
ACCEPTANCE BY KAT SCHARTZ & CONNOR RAGAN
8
The Reports
Photo of former student Sammy Little, courtesy of Jessica Alonso
February 2016
To those outside the Saint
Thomas Aquinas community, the Saints might seem elitist and unaccepting, but President Bill Ford has made it clear that Aquinas has an “open enrollment policy.” Aquinas does not turn away students. At moments in Aquinas’ history when the school was exceeding capacity, classrooms were added to the basement and more lockers were added to accommodate the growing number of Saints. This open enrollment policy extends to students in ways that might surprise the general public.
TRANSFERS
Despite Aquinas’ “open enrollment” policy, each transfer student must go through a process of approval before becoming a Saint. Transfer students must be making reasonable progression toward graduation like every other Aquinas student. Our administration confers with other schools to ensure that the addition of a particular new student into the Aquinas community will be a good fit. “The first thing we do is look at the transcript, and we try to circle
“You can’t just be dropped on the doorstep with your transcript and say ‘I want to go to school here.’” Bill Ford President
back from the school they are coming from,” Ford said. “If we think we need to, we meet with the parents, we try to vet them the best we can.” The Aquinas administration understands there is a reason that each student didn’t come to Aquinas originally, and they want to ensure that any student entering the Aquinas community will be a good fit. “Blue Valley schools and Rockhurst are really good about saying ‘Look, this is what you’re dealing with, here’s the situation,’” Ford continued. “You can’t just be dropped on the doorstep with your transcript and say ‘I want to go to school here.’” There are certain factors that would bar a transfer student from admittance. “If we think they would be a danger to our environment; if a kid throws a punch somewhere, we aren’t going to take them,” Ford clarified. “That puts everyone at risk, and I don’t want to put that in our community. If a kid has a violent temper, we’re not going to deal with that. Criminal action with a police charge won’t help you either.”
RELIGION
Saint Thomas Aquinas is not just a school for Catholics; every year, non-Catholic students become Saints. There is no problem admitting a non-Catholic student if they agree to
participate in the religious parts of the Aquinas experience, just like the Catholic students. According to Ford, “If you have a different belief than we do that’s OK,
“Every faith is correct in its aspect to seek the truth, and we all just call it different names.” Keshav Kailash Junior you just have to agree to take four years of theology and go to Mass. We’re not going to waive the religious nature of what we do.” Junior Keshav Kailash has gone to Catholic school since second grade and is Hindu. He has found Aquinas to be an accepting community. “The education here is better. If you’re going to teach morals and ethics, which is what theology class does, then the ethics and morals in the school are going to be of a higher standard.” Theology classes can sometimes be a hot button for Kailash. “Truth is one, sages call it different names,” he said. “It’s part of my faith, that we are all taught to believe that every faith is correct in its aspect to seek the truth, and we all just call it different names.”
“Truth is one, sages call It by different names” -Rig-Veda 9
The Reports
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
“If we have a student who is pontificating things that are clearly contrary to what we believe, and getting in the way of what we are trying to do,” Ford continued, “we give them two choices: knock it off, or continue with it and this probably isn’t the place for you, so they can decide what they want to do at that point.”
INCOME
Despite the high cost of tuition at Catholic schools, especially in Johnson County, income is not a factor that would bar a student from admittance at Saint Thomas Aquinas. However, this does not mean that lower income students don’t have to pay tuition. “Everybody has to do something,” Ford said. “Everybody has to pay tuition.” Aquinas does offer help to every family who applies. “We’re right at 30 percent of our students on financial assistance,” Ford said. Despite this, sometimes the most Aquinas can offer is not enough. Ford said, “I don’t say no, they may decide that they still can’t do that, because we’ve done financial assistance and the kid doesn’t come. They may say, ‘even with your formula we can’t afford it’ and that’s their choice. We do what we can.”
ACADEMICS
Aquinas has been recognized as a school with incredible academics. However, the test that every Saint takes before the beginning of their freshman year is not an entrance exam, explained Ford, but a placement test. “The placement test gives us an idea of the kids that may be an issue, and we try to track back with them.” The test itself does not bar any students from admittance, but, rather,
“The placement test gives us an idea of the kids that may be an issue, and we try to track back with them.” Bill Ford President it gives administrators and counselors an idea of which students will need help in the following years. “(Guided Studies teacher Charlie) Lamont will go the elementary schools in the spring and try to get as much information as he can from the teachers, and to try to watch the kids in their own environment,” Ford said. Aquinas does have required cred-
10
The Reports
its that need to be met for graduation. If a student cannot academically keep up with these requirements, Aquinas may not be the place for them. Ford said, “If we have a student who simply isn’t doing anything, we’ll put them on probation and if they can’t keep up with credit requirements we’ll invite them to make another decision of where they want to go to school, because they aren’t going to graduate so there is no need to waste their time and our time.”
LGBTQ
Saint Thomas Aquinas is without a doubt a Catholic school that puts an emphasis on faith and morals, but it is also a community that accepts gay individuals as Saints. Aquinas will admit openly gay students and does not try to silence students who come out. From the view of administration, being gay is OK at STA. Ford said, “The Church doesn’t have a problem with a person not being straight, that wouldn’t be an issue and I would be naive to think we don’t have students in the building who are gay or bisexual. I would be naive to say we don’t have anybody like that, because I know that’s not the case and it’s not a problem.” Former Aquinas student Sammy Little was not shy about her experience of coming out at Aquinas. “I think the students recognized how big of a deal it was for me to come out, and be so open about it. I think they respected the guts it took me to do so and I think STA is far more accepting than public schools believe it or not.”
February 2016
Junior Tommy Watson was worried about coming out, but, “Once I did everyone was really accepting,” he said. “It’s been an awesome experience and I haven’t gotten anything negative from anyone yet. I think Aquinas is an awesome environment for LGBTQ+ individuals because the students are so accepting, and I know there are people who don’t accept it, but they don’t say anything about it; they keep it to themselves. And the teachers and administration are really nice about it.”
“Aquinas is an awesome environment for LGBTQ+ individuals because the students are so accepting,” Tommy Watson Junior The one issue that Aquinas has yet to face is that of a transgender student, and at this point there is not an answer to how Aquinas would handle such a student. When asked how the school would handle a student like this, or even if the school would admit an openly trans student. “There isn’t a public stance on that,” said Academic Principal Brian Schenck. Administration defers to the USCCB, who defer to higher ups in the Catholic Church. Ford said, “It’s hard to say, the Catholic Church is trying to figure that out. We have not been given any instruction. We try to research where the Church is on a lot of that stuff, try
to be as informed as we can.” Until there is an official public stance for the school to support its policy with, there simply isn’t an answer.
“The Catholic Church is trying to figure that out. We have not been given any instruction.” Bill Ford President
REJECTION
By Alex Kinnan
While Aquinas may pride itself on being a school that is very accepting, other schools seem to pride themselves on being selective and prestigious through their admissions process. Among the six area Catholic high schools, four have specific steps for enrollment. St. James Academy requires that prospective students participate in a series of events in order to receive priority consideration. Students have to apply for enrollment in October and then make a decision by early December of their eighth grade year, and have to take their placement test at St. James. St. James follows these selective policies primarily to combat overcrowding, which is why possibilities of the school hitting an “enrollment cap” were a worry to applicants last fall. Rockhurst’s steps include applying early for “priority application” with final dates for enrollment being
11
The Reports
in early February of the student’s eighth grade year. Rockhurst’s admissions application features short answer questions and a teacher recommendation form for prospective eighth graders. Notre Dame de Sion’s admissions process requires all prospective students to take a placement test in January of their eighth grade year. The results of the test, along with the school’s decision on the student’s admission status, are sent midFebruary. At neighboring St. Teresa’s Academy, applicants need to apply for admission by a Dec. 1 deadline of their eighth grade year to be admitted in the fall. Aquinas’ admissions process features some of the most userfriendly requirements. Applicants need to pay an application fee, and state if they are a transfer or new student. There are no rigorous requirements, only a short waiting period for acceptance notification, and every student is a priority.
Saint Thomas Aquinas has shown
itself to be accepting in this generation of social change because of action by faculty, students, administration, and the greater Catholic Church. We’ve proven ourselves an accepting community where love truly does conquer all.
Junior Kat Schartz, @KatSchartz on Twitter, senior Alex Kinnan, @AlexKinnan on Twitter, and senior Connor Ragan, @csragan13 on social media, are reporters for The Shield. This story was edited by Olivia Rode.
P
M u co att o t M ho or ni s. Se oon sp
n o
i s s
a P
t f
o s
lir Ma ts t t a ec
f M oll y o lir c s a rte
e h
s t n
i a
S
s
t el n
s ta a m of o h ray T r t r he a n s t r . ai rse sta ork k S ic l w t ive stw sica a o u B s ad t llie nal m A r gi en er nio t ori d e S tes tu s off la s e a Th uin E Aq OD ick
to
o Ph
n in rso sted ield. e nd re Sh He inte he n i T s ev n i or f K erso his f o sy nd e t rte He mad u co evin nd oto r K hy a h P nio ap Se lligr ca
BY 12
Th
ep R e
ts r o
OL
I
A VI
R
c
sy
te
r ou
llie
A of
B
tw os
February 2016 Saint Thomas Aquinas is no stranger to talent and success, and those talents cover a wide range of interests. The Spoon Collector Senior Matt Malir has gathered medals and touchdowns in track and football, but he has one interesting collection most probably don’t know about: Souvenir spoons. Whenever Matt visits an interesting place, he will purchase a souvenir spoon and add it to his collection. “I found a couple souvenir spoons in my grandparents old insurance building and I knew it was meant to be,” he said. Ever since then, his collection has grown. He describes his collection as “priceless.” Malir plans on purchasing some “nice spoons” in Rome on the senior mission trip. The Calligraphers Ever since stumbling upon fountain pens on the Internet, senior Kevin Henderson has been extremely intrigued by them. “The components involved in each fountain pen allow for so much variation, thus changing the writing experiences to fit the writer’s preference,” Henderson said. His inclination for fountain pens has also led him to try calligraphy. Similarly, junior Ciaran Sweetman has recently started a fountain pen collection and taken up calligraphy. Henderson said,
Photo courtesy of Colleen Follis
Junior Colleen Follis performs at an Irish festival. “I would watch the dancers every year, and I fell in love with it,” she said.
Photo courtesy of Yianni Perahoritis
Yianni gets down, Greek style. “The audience loves it and I like to show off,” he said. “Writing is transformed from a process we’ve been forced to do ad nauseam, to an enjoyable and stimulating experience.” Sweetman agreed.
They have both taken something students do reluctantly everyday and made it into something more beautiful.
The Folk Dancers Juniors Yianni Perahoritis and Colleen Follis were interested in their heritage. This led them to dancing. Perahoritis participates in Greek festivals where he will take part in Greek dancing. His group has even been featured on FOX news. “The audience loves it and I like to show off,” he said. “I also like staying in touch with my Greek roots.” Follis Irish dances competitively, with a special dress, a wig, special shoes, everything. “My dad is a founder of the Kansas City Irish Fest so I would watch the dancers perform every year and I fell in love with it.” Follis has performed at a Sporting KC halftime show, a Royals game, and has also qualified for the regional championships. The Composer As most of the school knows, senior Allie Bostwick is a very talented musician. What most people don’t know is that she also writes and composes her own music, too. She has written a whole book of church hymns, and will be performing her own song during Wigs Out this year. “It’s part of who I am,” she said. “I have been seriously into composing since 7th grade, but I’ve been playing piano since I was 5. It’s challenging and I love moving people with my music.” Bostwick plans on attending St. Olaf College to continue her education in music.
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield The Cosplayer Senior Jo Hocever is an avid cosplayer who devotes much of her time and effort into her latest costume. The result is pretty awesome and a great example of what hard work and dedication can do. “Your height, weight, age, race, etc don’t matter in the world of cosplaying. You can literally be anything you want. If you’re a shy person like me, it’s so easy to get over that shyness and have a good time.”
Photo courtesy of Allie Bostwick
Allie performs at KC Superstar.
The Cake Decorator Another senior with a cool talent is Emily Everheart. She bakes cakes. These aren’t just normal cakes however. Sometimes they are shaped like cars, or layered, or even an Aquinas Shield. “My great-grandma loved to bake and inspired me, so ever since a young age I’ve always enjoyed it,” she said. Everhart loves making people smile when they see what she has created for them. The Storm Chaser Senior Jack Lind is a huge Gary Lezak fan and considers “storm chasing” a hobby. “I’ve never been afraid of storms, just fascinated,” Lind said. Lind plans on becoming a meteorologist through Oklahoma University. He has chased after many a storm, including driving to Joplin after their tornado catastrophe.
Photo courtesy of Jo Hocever
Jo poses for a close up.
Photo courtesy of Emily Everheart
Emily baked an Aquinas Shield cake.
The community we have created and that we interact with everyday is proof that love does conquer all, especially when one sees how different we all are. Senior Olivia Rode, @oliviarode on Twitter, is the Shield’s Editor-in-Chief.
14
The Reports
Mo Knows
An exclusive interview with The Shield’s Love Conquers All advice giver. BY ANSLEY REYNOLDS
15
the reports
Mo Knows
The
LOVE CONQUERS ALL Issue
An exclusive interview with The Shield’s Love Conquers All advice giver.
BY ANSLEY REYNOLDS
Q: If I have a date on Valentine’s Day, where should I go?
Q: If I don’t have a date on Valentine’s Day, what should I do?
A: Well I’d go to a nice restaurant that you can afford. It depends on what kind of food you like. I like to go to Golden Corral or Jack Stack BBQ.
A: That will come later in life. Wait in life, take care of yourself, go to college and the other stuff will come later. You don’t need that right now.
Q: How do I know if my crush likes me?
Q: How do I tell my crush I like him?
A: It’s the way he treats you, if he treats you like a lady. That’s what I was taught, the old fashion way.
A: Tell him you like the way he talks, the way he pleases people. If he makes good grades and has a career. That’s the kind of person I was taught to like.
Q: What do I give my date? A: For a guy, start off with clothes like a nice shirt and for a girl start off with some flowers.
The Shield’s Survey asks: How much money is appropriate for a student to spend on Valentine’s Day?
55% $5-$20
31%
6%
$20-$100
$100+ 16
the reports
5%
3%
less than $5
$0
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
Faith Into Action
Photo by Ellie Heit | The Shield Sophomore Andrew Cunningham leads closing prayer at youth group on Sunday night.
It’s not enough just to live your faith at school. This sophomore exemplifies what it means to live out the love of God in the community. BY ELLIE HEIT
Out of most of the sophomores, Andrew Cunningham sticks out above the rest. You may see him at a basketball game cheering as loud as possible, out golfing on the course or rocking out on his guitar. But there’s another side of Andrew that you may not see, the side that is an active member in the religious community. “Andrew is one of the most genuine and loving men I have ever met,” Prince of Peace Youth Director Kyle Kuckleman said. “He’s also one of the best leaders I’ve ever seen.”
Not only does he go habitually to Prince of Peace youth group, Cunningham also leads his own small group at an eighth grade Confirmation class, goes to the decade of the rosary after school and goes on summer retreats. “I love being Catholic and I just want to continue strengthening my faith,” Cunningham said. Not only does he go to these events, but he actively invites others to join in. “I first met Andrew at cross country freshman year. He was
17
The Back Pages
always so friendly,” sophomore Mary Clare Halpin said. Halpin was inspired by Cunningham to explore her own faith. “After I had been going to the decade of the rosary after school for about a week, Andrew told me that he’d really like it if I’d go to Prince of Peace youth group,” Halpin said. “He was so welcoming and kept encouraging me to go. From that night on my life hasn’t been the same, all because of Andrew.” Kuckleman was one of the driving forces to get Andrew to explore
his faith in the first place. “For some time, I think Aquinas students and families have though that they can get all of their faith done at school,” Kuckleman said. “For a while, Andrew was the only Aquinas kid coming to youth group, but between him and Miss Kennedy, they have started to show people that there’s more to your faith life than just school.” Since Cunningham started going to youth group, he has brought numerous classmates closer to Christ. “Every Aquinas kid that’s been here is a result of Andrew, in some way or another,” Kuckleman said. “If more kids were like Andrew, I would not have a job.”
Senior Ellie Heit, @eheit0 on Twitter, is The Shield’s Copy Editor. This story was edited by Alex Wagner.
Photo by Ellie Heit | The Shield Sophomore Andrew Cunningham laughs during small group. Cunningham attends youth group almost every Sunday.
February 2016
A Global Warning BY LUKE DOHERTY
To deny some form of climate change, whether by natural change or by man, is to deny an inevitable truth. It’s not quite sunset, but the light of the current sunshine in the distance is slowly disapearing behind the waves of the ocean. The sand beneath your feet is warm, and there is nothing but water and white sand around you, which brings you to a kind of peace. You suddenly feel a tug on your right arm, a tug that almost pulls you to the ground. Looking to your immediate right, you’re holding a dog leash, and you see a black beagle walking aimlessly next to you, panting. As you try to walk straight to walk across the beach, the dog walks back and forth, almost in a zig zag, moving side to side. The dog walks in almost unpredictable directions, and you get frustrated, because this dog doesn’t follow your straight plane. You try and predict the dog’s next move, but the dog is consistently finding something new to aim its sights on. You represent climate, and your dog represents weather. Before the discussion of global warming begins, one must know the distinction between weather and climate, because there is a very big one. Climate deals with the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.
Weather deals with the state of the atmosphere at a place and time, regarding factors such as heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, and rain. The metaphor of the dog and the owner was explained by American astrophysicist and cosmologist, Neil deGrasse Tyson. “Weather is hard to predict, like my friend [the dog] here… but climate is predictable... I represent that long-term trend, which is climate. Keep your eye on the man,
“I think climate change is something that you can’t really prove, but it is kind of a fact.” Nicole Riggs Senior not the dog,” Tyson said. First, look at both sides of the debate before simply arguing a side with no factual information. There are many reasons on why climate change exists, but also many reasons on why it can be denied. Climate change, whether by human impact or a natural change in climate, is a topic that many believe to be true.
19
The Reports
As scientific knowledge has grown about the warming of the planet, the debate is moving away from whether or not humans are causing the warming and more toward questions of how best to respond. Some scientists believe that this warming climate could just be a natural change, and these natural climate changes have been happening since the birth of the planet. Does the public even have anything to worry about? Are we as humans destroying our beloved home? Is this just a cycle? Scientists believe that humans are the ones on trial, destroying our home. Earth’s worldwide average temperature has raised about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, the middle of the industrial revolution. Human factors that are claimed to be impacting the Earth’s climate are greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, ozone pollution, and aerosol pollution. Some natural factors claimed to be making the Earth warmer are the sun, orbital change, and volcanoes. The emissions greenhouse gases are the main factor that seems to be under the most fire. The greenhouse effect is the exchange of incoming and outgoing radiation, in turn, warming
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield the Earth as a whole. Some examples of these greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. Since 1880, carbon dioxide emissions have been increasing, and this curve matches the warming of the Earth. According to National Geographic, in 2013, carbon dioxide accounted for about 82 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Human activities are altering the carbon cycle, both by adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere and by influencing the ability of natural sinks, like forests, to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The earth could also just be changing, naturally that is. Saint Thomas Aquinas physics teacher John Tompkins, when asked about his opinion on whether climate change is a result of human or natural activity said, “I think it is a
Results of The Shield’s Survey:
combination of both… We can’t help but interact in our own environment, as far as impacting it. But there are other natural things too… I think planet Earth has always been changing, so why would you say it is not changing?” There aren’t many reasons to deny climate
change. Wallace Thornhill, author of Global Warming in a Climate of Ignorance, wrote “...when in fact, science is ignorant about the source of the heat -- the Sun. The really inconvenient truth is that we cannot control nature. But we can begin to learn our true place in the Universe
20
The Reports
and figure out how to cope rationally with inevitable change. Clearly, reducing air pollution is an admirable goal in itself.” Thornhill even admits the Earth is changing in some form or another. To deny some form of climate change, whether naturally or by man, is to deny an inevitable truth. An inevitable truth that you can’t run away from. But just because climate change is occurring, doesn’t mean it is necessarily a threat, currently. Some people run away from the truth because they don’t want to be labeled “tree huggers” or “liberals,” but to accept this truth doesn’t necessarily make a person any of those. The argument of this topic has been a significant one for a while now, and currently, there seems to be no end.
Senior Luke Doherty, @lukedoherty13 on Twitter, is a Shield freelancer. This story was edited by Connor Ragan.
Februaury 2016
See Something, Say Something Rethinking the Threat of Gun Violence BY BECCA HAEUSSER
Since 2013, there have been at least 166 school shootings in America — an average of nearly one a week. This staggering statistic might evoke a sense of fear in some people. In the 1970’s, Stanford sociologist Mark Granovetter tried to explain “situations where outcomes do not seem intuitively consistent with the underlying individual preferences.” The gun violence epidemic would seem to fit this description. Granovetter used riots as one of his main examples in his article. The “mob mentality” that occurs during a riot causes ordinary people to do unordinary acts of violence and rebellion. Malcolm Gladwell, a writer for The New Yorker, explained that, “a riot [is] a social process, in which people [do] things in reaction to and in combination with those around them. Social processes are driven by our thresholds—which he defined as the number of people who need to be doing some activity before we agree to join them.” According to Granovetter, riots are started by people with a threshold of zero. These people need little to no incitement before they will throw a rock.The people
with a threshold of one come next, they will throw a rock after someone else does it first. This pattern continues until an upstanding citizen, who would never think of throwing rocks, joins in because of the vast number of their fellow citizens who are participating. This lead Gladwell to ask, “What if the way to explain the schoolshooting epidemic is to go back and
“We need to all think of each and every student and staff member in this building as security and providing information.” Ken Ufford Student Resource Officer use the Granovetterian model—to think of it as a slow-motion, everevolving riot, in which each new participant’s action makes sense in reaction to and in combination with those who came before?” Gladwell is saying that these school shooters have been building on each other. Starting with Eric Harris and the Columbine shooting in 1999, the “riot” has been evolving.
21
the reports
Eric Harris had a threshold of zero. Then, in progression, each successive shooter has had a higher threshold. This explains why there are sane, unprovoked gunmen walking into schools. As people try to explain and stop the school shooting epidemic, administrators at Aquinas have been examining the security measures taken within the school building. Mike Sullivan, Principal of Student Services, said, “In general, gun violence has increased in our society and of course we worry for the safety of our students and community at Saint Thomas Aquinas.” Aquinas administrators have adopted a policy of preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. During school hours, all doors are locked. The only door that remains unlocked is in the commons, in plain sight of School Resource Officer Ken Ufford. There are cameras strategically placed around the school and parking lots that are monitored in the Attendance Office. If a door has been open for too long, and alarm will sound to alert the administration. Even with all of the current security, there is currently a plan for the SMC building to be enclosed with the main building. This should
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
make the school even safer for all, creating only one “pinch point” where people enter and are screened. Ufford said, “Of course you can always hire more security, but we need to all think of each and every student and staff member in this building as security and providing information.” In order to keep students completely safe, schools would have to go to ridiculous measures. Sullivan stated that we could ensure the safety of all students if we had a building with no windows and only one door. At that door there could be metal detectors and guards. This would make schools like prisons. Also, all of the doors at Aquinas actually ensure the safety of the students to escape in case of a fire. Ufford said, “All buildings have requirements to have so many doors to egress. This is a fire code
issue. All schools have the same requirement.” When students are asked what
“If all students feel comfortable with speaking to at least one adult and hopefully more than one, that helps keep our school safer.” Michael Sullivan Principal of Student Services their favorite part about Aquinas is, most respond that it is the sense of community. Sullivan said, “Saint Thomas Aquinas is one big family and we look out for each other. Basically have
22
the reports
each other’s back. This includes alumni, staff and families.” If something does not look right, students should, and often will, report it to the proper person. Aquinas strives to have each student feel like a part of the family and develop a good relationship with an adult at school. “If all students feel comfortable with speaking to at least one adult and hopefully more than one, that helps keep our school safer,” Sullivan said. “Building relationships is very important in school safety. We must continue to develop the mantra ‘see Something, say Something’.”
Junior Becca Haeusser is a freelance reporter for The Shield. This story was edited by Alex Kinnan, the Shield’s Editor-in-Chief.
February 2016
It’s Getting Cold In Here
The temperatures in some classrooms seem to be colder than others. BY MIA POWER
Everyone has had the unpleasant experience of a damp paper towel over the thermostat. This tricks it into sitting in class and wondering, “Why is it so cold in here?” thinking it’s colder than it is and the heat kicks on. She Some classrooms seem to be colder than others, and the leaves it on “just until everyone is comfortable,” she said. temperatures seem to change depending on the Everyone knows that the worst place to sit in time of day. a cold classroom is near the windows. According to a recent Shield In all four of these classrooms, the Survey, students said the four temperature next to the windows coldest classrooms at Aquinas was more than four degrees belong to social studies colder than the warmest part of teacher Stephanie Cloues, the room. science teacher Chris The obvious solution to Berger, Spanish teacher avoid getting the chills Lisa Bregant, and science in class is to wear a teacher Sui Sum Olson. sweatshirt or sweater. The only thing these Spirit Shop Manager rooms seem to have in Serena Price said she common is the fact that sees most girls buying they are all towards the their uniform sweaters end of the school furthest and sweatshirts at the from the commons. beginning of the year In Cloues’s room at but advises boys to wait the end of Senior Hall, “the until it gets colder. She temperature drops throughout said most of them buy them the day,” said Cloues. When around November, when the measured, the temperature in the temperatures outside drop. warmest part of the room dropped Price said she absolutely hears almost two degrees between first and students talk about the coldness in the The 199 students that anwered seventh hour. classrooms when buying sweatshirts. “I the Shield survey had 42 differ For Bregant, it is the exact opposite. have my own thoughts of why,” Price said. ent responses for which classHer room gets warmer as the day “Not because we want to make it cold, but room was the coldest. progresses. because it’s a 25 year old building.” Olson has her own methods to try to It’s true that the building is a little old, keep her classroom cozy. When it gets too chilly, she puts the windows have not been replaced, and the heating
23
The Reports
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield and cooling systems have been running almost nonstop since Aquinas was built. Even on weekends, when there is no school, the building is still running because of all the events that take place at Aquinas. Wear and tear is inevitable. As for the effects of a cold classroom, there aren’t any besides the obvious discomfort. A cool classroom keeps students
“It’s not because we want to make it cold, but because it’s a 25-year-old building.” Serena Price Spirit Shop Manager awake and alert but if it is too cold, it can be a distraction. According to the National Union of Teachers, classrooms should be no colder than 64 degrees
and no warmer than 75.2 degrees. A study done at Westview High School in Beaverton, Oregon showed that students perform best when the temperature is 72
24
degrees. This may seem warm, but in classrooms where students are often stationary for long periods of time, they don’t produce as much body heat. Junior Mia Power, @miacbpower on Twitter, is a freelance reporter for the Shield. This story was edited by Alex Kinnan.
*Temperatures were taken February 12, when the local temperature was in the mid-30s.
The Reports
The Spreads What’s inside
26
2016 Couples Game
30
Hidden Gems of KC
32
Behind Locked Doors
Fighting for Victory Sophomores Kelli Byrd and Natalie Golubski write down the answer to a question during the couples game on Feb. 3. Photo by Alex Wagner | The Shield
The
The Couples Game 2016 LOVE CONQUERS ALL Issue
TEN COUPLES • • • • • • • • • •
Marianne Michaels and Danny Goza Olivia Rode and Austin Zuniga Meghan Kindel and Parker Swanson Michaela Stomploy and Luke Doherty Kelli Byrd and Dan Bollig Winnie Ryan and Andy Carta Katie Connor and Hayden King Madison Janky and Will Swanson Natalie Golubski and Joe Clune Elizabeth Ragan and Ryan Caragher
20
THREE GAMES •
•
•
Question and Answer: Questions such as, “What is her Twitter handle?” to “What street does she live on?” sure stumped even the most seasoned couples! Catchphrase: Couples took turns trying to guess what person, place or thing their significant other was depicting. The Newlywed Game: The ultimate test, we asked couples the same question and gave points when both gave the same answer.
ONE CHAMPION BY ALEX KINNAN AND HAGAN MAROZAS
8
4
2 From 20 to 2, see how
the couples got knocked out on the pages that follow.
Round One
The
LOVE CONQUERS ALL
Question and Answer
•
•
Our couples stood back to back and our gentlmen tried to answer some of our simple, yet tough questions. The two killers: What street does she live on? What is her Twitter handle?
8
WHO WAS ELIMINATED
Parker Swanson & Meghan Kindel
Hayden King & Katie Connor
Kelli Byrd & Dan Bollig
Photos by Alex Wagner | The Shield
Natalie Golubski & Joe Clune
Luke Doherty & Michaela Stompoly
Marianne Michaels & Danny Goza
(Photo courtesy of Marianne Michaels.)
Issue
And then there were eight. up next, Catchphrase.
The
Round Two
LOVE CONQUERS ALL Issue
Catchphrase
4
•
Only four remain.
Four couples tried their hand at Catchphrase. All couples has strong perfomances, but only two moved forward. Austin Zuniga and Olivia Rode (pictured above) even finished with an impresive perfect score.
WHO WAS ELIMINATED juniors
Winnie Ryan & Andy Carta
sophomores
Madison Janky & Will Swanson
Photos by Alex Wagner | The Shield
Next the third and final round, The Newlywed Game.
Round Three The Newlywed Game
WHAT WENT DOWN
•
The Newlywed Game was a battle between the remaining two couples. Neither couple had a perfect score, but seniors Olivia Rode and Austin Zuniga were able to sneak away with a win, when sophmore Elizabeth Ragan incorrectly said senior Ryan Caragaher’s shoe size was 11.5. It was a size 11.
Senior Alex Kinnan, @alexkinnan on Twitter, is the Shield’s Editorin-Chief. Junior Hagan Marozas, is a reporter for The Shield. Special thanks to the participants for their help with this competition.
THE COU SHIELD ’ PLE OF 2 S 016
The
LOVE CONQUERS ALL Issue
OL & AU IVIA ROD STIN E ZUN IGA
2nd Place sophomore
Elizabeth Ragan senior
Ryan Caragher Photos by Alex Wagner | The Shield
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
The Hidden Gems - KC The best overlooked places in Kansas City. BY Annie Gellott
1. River Market 2. The Rabbit Hole The Rabbit Hole is a place that puts people into a story scene. It is a very unique place.
Photo by Annie Gellott | The Shield
The River Market Produce shops in Kansas City, Kansas.
Topping off our list is the Farmers Market in River Market. It is open Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is a fun, interactive environment. Photo by Annie Gellott | The Shield
The Rabbit Hole in the Crossroads District in Kansas City, Missouri.
30
The Spreads
February 2016
3. Town-Topic Hamburgers
4. The City Market Coming in at #4 is the City Market in downtown River Market is home to some of the most unique stores in Kansas City. Ranging from antiques to clothing and jewelry to furniture, the city market has it all.
Photo by Annie Gellott | The Shield
Town-Topic Hamburgers in the Crossroads District in Kansas City, Missouri.
Town-Topic is one of the classic burger places in Kansas City. Its open late and always serving good food. It is quaint, cheap, and good, making it the #3 hidden gem.
Photo by Annie Gellott | The Shield
The iconic City Market sign in River Market, Kansas City, Kansas.
5. City Market Coffee House
If you love coffee, you’ll love this coffee place. Home to great pastries and some of the best foam art in Kansas City, this place has an urban-coffee-shop feel that is hard to beat, earning it The Shield’s #5 spot.
Photo by Annie Gellott | The Shield
The City Market Coffee House in River Market, Kansas City, Kansas.
31
The Spreads
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
Behind Closed Doors BY ALEX WAGNER
Saint Thomas Aquinas has roughly 263 doors in the main building and 33 doors in SMC. With nearly 300 doors, students wonder what is behind some of those doors that are always locked. This prompted The Shield staff to take a closer look at what is really behind these mysterious closed doors; the results might be surprising. Each floor has locked doors, and the floor that drew our attention the most was the basement. The basement currently uses only two classrooms for educational purposes‌ but what about the rest of these doors? Most of the doors in the basement are for storage, but there are a few doors throughout the school that piqued The Shields interests. In SMC, there are two classrooms apart from the rest of the rooms, and these classrooms are completely opposite of the other rooms in SMC. The rooms the students have class in are blue, while the rooms hiding from students are a pinkish red. The real reason for why the rooms are red are still a mystery. Located in the basement behind a door that says Paint Supplies is paint, but that’s not the end of the story. When we opened this door, the smell that most students recognize unique to the basement floods the room. The smell seemingly toxic and horrid overwhelms the senses. The smell is undetermined but was only found in that room.
February 2016 Most students have wanted to walk into the room at one point or another, but the teachers’ lounge is nothing special. The teachers’ lounge consists of a printer, a break room with white round tables, three microwaves (two work), a soda machine, and a desk for each teacher to come and work on things during their plan period if they do not have a room to call home. Located in Sophomore Hall across from the art displays is a room that is not painted and has a few storage items in the room. But the most surprising item in the windowless room is that there was a desk, a chair and an open math textbook.
The steps to the roof have been found, but the location cannot be disclosed. Senior Alex Wagner is a Senior Editor for the Shield. This story was edited by Daniel Petracek Photos courtesy of Alex Wagner
33
The Spreads
THE SOCIAL SPREAD
Twitter @MorganMcEnroe Dodging balls and taking ships #gododgefathers #gosaints Twitter @MadiSchneweis If Liam can go back to Miley, you can text back. Twitter @RileyEbert most popular questions at Aquinas today: where’s our power box? who’s willing to sacrifice their car for the day off school?
Instagram @PatrickLacy Twitter @MadiSnyder Yes, I anchor for ESPN on the side. When you see your grades
Instagram @MonicaSneed Holy Trinity breeds athletes.
WPA
Twitter @Megan Holzmeister When someone drops a bomb in the bathroom.
Twitter @MorganTaylor DC trip in a nutshell: RIP A-G, 1 lost wallet, 2 mental breakdowns, 3 people get sick, and 17 people miss their flight. Instagram @MaddieCharles Too much homework, not enough time. Twitter @MaryKMcCanna Just filled out the FAFSA 10/10 would not recommend.
Instagram @KatieConnor Drop it like it’s hot.
Twitter @KelliByrd @Tacobell Thank you! he said “si”
Twitter @Tacobell @KellyByrd Adorable!
Instagram @DavidMcCanna Instagram Our faces when we finally got @MichaelaStompolI Greece is the most magical to the front of the bus. place on Earth #grapes Instagram @MargaretPigott i’m the 5’0ft girl in the middle of the dance if you couldn’t find me.
Instagram @stevebushtherealchillest Twitter @MorganTaylor Big win, but can’t keep the ladies off of definiton of WPA: girls going around and complimenting me. What can I say? costumes for a good 30 minutes then everyone leaves...
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
The Survey Spread
Aquinas Students’ Top 5 Super Bowl Commercials
1. Doritos “Ultrasound” adweek.com
3. Mountain Dew “Puppymonkeybaby” peoplepets.com
examiner.com
2. Heinz “Wiener Stampede” 4. Hyundai - “First Date”
5. T-Mobile - “Restricted Bling”
News Bites - Super Bowl Edition
$132.5 million
$4.5 million
Amount in placed bets on Super Bowl 50 across all of America
Cost for 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl
111.9 million
1.25 billion
Viewers who tuned in to watch the Broncos beat the Panthers, 24-10
Approximate number of chicken wings eaten on Super Bowl Sunday 38
The Spreads
BY CONNOR RAGAN
The Back Pages What’s inside 38
The Dodgeball Wars
Best School Prevails Senior Lucas Bartlett and social studies teacher John Rost look at the competition before the dodgeball tournament on Feb. 11. Photo by Alex Wagner | The Shield
40
I’m in the Band
44
Food Review: The Other Place
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
Dodging for the Basics
Students dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge in competition against rival schools. BY DANIEL PETRACEK The first ever Catholic Clash Dodgeball Tournament proved to be a huge success, raising funds for “Giving the Basics” and providing competitive students a chance for dodgeball glory. Executive Student Council President and senior Isabel Kemp said she came up with the idea of having a dodgeball tournament for a good cause while at StuCo camp over the summer. It seemed like a brilliant idea. As senior class officer Christopher Schilling said, “Everyone loves a dodgeball tournament.” The timing with Catholic Schools Week and the “Giving the Basics” drive made it perfect. Although it was planned fairly last minute, both St. James Academy and Bishop Miege were very excited to play dodgeball against their rival schools. Entering in the tournament cost $40 for an eight-person team, making it only $5 per individual. Each team was required to have four boys and four girls. More than 30 teams competed among the
three schools, but only the top two from each school played in the doubleelimination championship tournament, held in the Aquinas main gym on Thursday, February 11.
The prelims were held the week before during Catholic Schools Week. The dodgeball tournament, which also charged $3 to watch the championship tournament,
over $1,600 was raised for “Giving the Basics,” according to Kemp. Schilling said, “After the tournament’s success, we plan on doing the event every year.”
Photo by Alex Wagner | The Shield Senior Parker Swanson (front) throws a laser, while senior teammate Sam Clark (back) dodges an opponent’s ball. Their team, the Dodgefathers, did not lose a single game in the championship tournament.
38
The Back Pages
Kemp shares
Kemp shares the same vision, and StuCo is hoping to make the championship game coincide with Catholic Schools Week in the future. “All three schools have a ‘Giving the Basics’ drive during the Catholic Schools Week, so it would be a very fitting time,” Kemp said. “We hope to continue supporting ‘Giving the Basics’ and all that they do while having a little fun at the same time!” As for the actual tournament action, 15 Saints teams participated, and the overall winning team, the “Dodgefathers,” was from Aquinas. The team consisted of seniors Sam Clark, Grant Elias, Ryan Foley, Meghan Kindel, Matthew Malir, Morgan McEnroe, Christy Rheinberger, Kate Ross, and James Cosentino and Parker Swanson who replaced the absent Foley and Malir in the championship tournament. Rheinberger said she would definitely play again next year if she could. “My favorite part was having the fans there being obnoxious.” The team’s strategy was to play defensively once it got an opposing player out. This was important, considering the time limit placed on each game. When asked about his favorite part of the tournament, Clark said, “Coming back from the loser’s bracket.”
February 2016
Photo by Ellie Thompson | The Medallion The team had lost The Dodgefathers celebrate their victory with classmates. They its very first game in the defeated Bishop Miege’s “Team Nasty” in the championship game. prelims, but was able to battle back and be one of the two teams to represent Aquinas in the championship tournament, in which the Dodgefathers went undefeated. “The feeling of being the first ever dodgeball champions was crazy,” Rheinberger said. “The huge celebration and mosh pit made it that much better. One of the greatest feelings ever.” On the victory, Clark said, “It felt right.” The Catholic Clash Dodgeball Tournament is expected to stay and StuCo is hoping for even more students to compete in the years coming.
Senior Daniel Petracek is Managing Editor for The Shield. This story was edited by Ellie Heit.
39
The Back Pages
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
I'm With the Band Saint Thomas Aquinas is home to two small but mighty bands: STA Express, and The Saints Brigade. BY EZRI KILLEEN
Photo Courtesy of Michele Gress.
The Saints Brigade lines up before a Saints football game. This band plays at all home varsity football games.
W
hile most students are sleeping through their last alarm, some are hard at work in zero hour with STA Express. Then, while most students are forcing their eyes open during their second hour, even more kids are working with The Saints Brigade. It all goes down in room 121: the music room. Here, the band students work hard for their various performances at games, concerts, and competitions. Saint Thomas Aquinas is home to two outstanding bands: the STA Express, and The Saints Brigade. Heading them both is band teacher John Burgess, who has been with Aquinas since 2010.
40
The Back Pages
February 2015
The STA Express, commonly
referred to as the jazz band, practices during zero hour. This band is made up of 18 students. Making up the band are seven saxophone players, one flute player, four trumpet players, one trombone player, two piano players, one guitar player, and two drum players. This band works hard all year round, performing at Extravaganza, the Christmas Concert, and the spring instrumental showcase.
The Saints Brigade is a second
hour class, made up of 20 students. This band is comprised of two flute players, five clarinet players, four saxophone players, three trumpet players, one trombone player, one cello player, and four percussion players. This band is most visible at the home football and basketball games. In addition to those, The Saints Brigade also performs at the Christmas Concert, the spring instrumental showcase, and the Saint Cecilia Catholic School Band Festival. Along with their more visible performances, both groups compete at local band festivals. The Saints Brigade annually participates in the KSHAA Large Group Festival in the spring, along with several
festivals at colleges in the fall. This year, they competed at the Baker University and Kansas State University marching festivals. The STA Express, on the other hand, does not compete at Large Group, but they do travel to annual competitions in the spring: the Baker University Jazz Festival, the Pitt State Jazz Festival, and the KCKCC Jazz Summit Festival. These competitions, unlike ones that people normally think of, are not for rankings among other bands. On the contrary, the bands get scored for ratings, a I rating being the best-- a superior rating-and a V rating being the worst. A superior rating is very hard to achieve; The
“[Getting a 1 rating]
is essentially the equivalent being EKL champions in terms of importance to the band members.” Adam Tritt Junior Saints Brigade has only received the rating twice in the past three years. However, when they do receive the rating, it is a very big deal. “[Getting a 1 rating] is essentially the equivalent being EKL champions
Photo courtesy of Michele Gress
Junior Adam Tritt plays the trumpet at a football game. Tritt has been in the Brigade since his freshman year. in terms of importance to the band members,” junior Adam Tritt said. Tritt is active in the bands at Aquinas, and has been playing the trumpet since fifth grade. In the fall of this school year, The Saints Brigade received a 1 rating at the Kansas State University Marching Festival. “We ranked significantly better than the over 100-person band at Mill Valley, but no big deal,” Tritt said. The students in band are not only limited to The Saints Brigade or the STA Express. Band students are often asked to play for the musical, as well as the band for Show Choir and Dinner Theatre. This makes
41
The Back Pages
for a very busy schedule for the students at some times. Tritt, in his time at Aquinas, has been a part of both Show Choir band and Dinner Theatre Band. Over the years, the STA Express has swelled in numbers. This year, the saxophone section is complete with alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones. The rhythm section for the band is complete, save for a bass, which they cover with a synthesizer. A typical rhythm section is comprised of piano, bass, guitar and drums. Burgess is confident about the size of the jazz band. “Typical jazz band instrumentation includes 5 saxes, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets, and rhythm
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield
Photo courtesy of Michele Gress
The Saints Brigade walks onto the field at halftime. This band also competes at festivals throughout the year. section... so we are in good shape with 18,” Burgess said. On the contrary, the numbers have gone down for The Saints Brigade over the years. This is due to a large graduating class in the spring of 2013. Because of the 14 graduating seniors, the band’s numbers dropped from 36 or 37 students to 20 students in the recent years. This is also the reason that there has not been a flag team for the past two years. In comparison to many public schools, a 20-student band is rather small. The reason for this, mainly, has to do with the size of the public schools and their guaranteed incoming freshmen from middle schools. Because so many students come into the public high schools each year, the bands can retain their high numbers. “The impact of 10 kids choosing not to join Blue
Valley Northwest’s band is not felt near as much as 10 kids choosing not to join STA’s band,” Burgess said. Another reason is scheduling conflicts. If students sign up for band, they are also making it hard for themselves to take other electives. They may also have to take summer school at some point. “These reasons speak volumes about the students currently enrolled in band,” Burgess said. “They are dedicated and truly want to be there. They work hard all year long and are an awesome group of kids.” The students in band have various reasons as to why they enjoy it. Junior Jenna Steichen, who plays the tenor saxophone in the STA Express, said, “My favorite thing about the jazz band is our annual trip to Pitt State jazz festival. It is fun to play for judges and to see other bands perform.”
Photo Courtesy of Michele Gress.
Senior Caleb Thompson conducts the band at a varsity football game. The band’s theme for their halftime show this year was Disney. Senior Mikaela Wynne, who also plays the tenor saxophone in the STA Express, enjoys the music itself. “My favorite thing about band is playing music that I’ve heard on the radio or in movies. We learned how to play the James Bond theme, which was pretty cool,” Wynne said. Being in band also comes with its perks. Just this past weekend, The Saints Brigade traveled to Orlando, Florida. “The Orlando trip was a pretty good time,” Tritt said.
42
The Back Pages
As for students considering joining band, the current members encourage it. Many students said it was a great way to meet friends. “To any students who are considering joining band, I can confidently say they will not regret it as long as they go in with an open mind,” Tritt said. Junior Ezri Killeen, @e_claire17 on Twitter, is a freelance reporter for The Shield. This story was edited by Editor-In-Chief Alex Kinnan.
February 2016
The Icebreaker
Annika Montalvo Learn some interesting facts about one of your top varsity bowlers for the Saints female bowling team. What is the last movie you watched that made you cry? I watched The Longest Ride last night and I cried during the scene when they broke up.
What is your favorite pump up song before you bowl? Victorious by Panic at the Disco. It just makes me feel like we’re going to win even though we usually don’t. But thats ok!
What is the best game you have ever bowled? I bowled a 487 in practice a couple of weeks ago
What other sports do you play other than bowling? I am a seeker or beater in Quidditch. What Netflix shows are you binge watching? I watch Once Upon a Time, all the time. I watch that and Grey’s Anatomy. What is your favorite cafeteria food? I love the double chocolate chip cookies. and I microwave them for 20 seconds.
What is your dream job? I want to be a social worker so I can work with kids. If you could have a super power what would it be? Telepathy, because I want to know what everyone is thinking.
Jenni Nguyen
The Medallion
43
The Back Pages
Junior Seth Walker @SethWalker3 on twitter, is a writer for The Shield. This story was edited by Connor Ragan.
The Saint Thomas aquinas Shield
Photos by Ellie Heit | The Shield Clockwise: Pork Tenderloin (top), California quesadillas(bottom right), mozzerella sticks (bottom left)
45
The Back Pages
February 2016
The Only Place You Need Wonderful food and service from the second you walk in the door. BY ELLIE HEIT The Other Place is a local American sports grill and pizzeria. Originally founded in Iowa, the owners decided to branch out in 1997 to Overland Park. Not only is the food delicious, but the overall atmosphere is superb. After being immediately seated,
the bubbly and completely helpful waitress was quick to the table. After learning more about her, we realized that this was only her first week of work. The Other Place really knows how to hire quality servers from the get-go. On top of the good service, the food was great.
The pork tenderloin sandwich was delicious and the California quesadillas were heavenly. While it wasn’t the cheapest restaurant, the price was easily worth it. So if you are willing to spend ten dollars on a meal that will make your taste buds soar, The Other Place is the only place for you.
Overall Score- 5 SHIELDS
ggggg 45
The Back Pages
LOCATIONS: 7324 West 80th Overland Park, Kansas 66204 (913)652-9494 16590 West 135th Olathe, Kansas 66062 (913)791-9500
Shield Scale 1- Terrible 2- Poor 3- Average 4-Good 5-Great
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield Last Look WPA
1
2
3
Photos courtesy of Michele Gress 1.) Senior Tom Killilea stands above the crowd as Saints dance around him. 2.) Senior Matthew Navickas and Maddie Geiger pose for a picture. 3.) Seniors Allie Koster, Isabel Kemp and Sophie Geiger pose with the DJ.
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Shield Last Look WPA
4
5
Photos courtesy of Michele Gress 4.) Senior Christian Chalabi leads a conga line at WPA. 5.) Seniors girls pose together at their last WPA.
February/March 2016 Our Top Five Games Of The Month
Friday 2/19 Boys and Girls Basketball @ home, 6 pm vs. Gardner Edgerton Wednesday 2/24 Regional Bowling @ KCK Bowl Boys 9 am, Girls 12 pm Friday- Saturday 2/26-27 State wrestling in Park City @ Hartman Arena Friday 2/27 Our Game of the Issue Winter Finale @ home, 7pm Wednesday- Saturday 3/9-12 Varsity Boys and Girl State Basketball @ TopekaKansas Expocentre
The Students’ Voice
The Shield