Seniors Plan for the Future, Leave Advice Behind

by Erin Gassner

College is an experience that every eighteen-year-old spends their last year of high school preparing for – applying to schools, researching programs, and searching for scholarship applications to fill out. Several seniors - Leslie Bychinski, Merriam Mistlebauer, and Julie Klehr - were happy to share with me some very important information: the schools they going to and why they picked them, the parts of college they are nervous and excited for, and tips for underclassmen.



Leslie is planning on attending University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. She says, “I really loved the Oshkosh campus and everyone I talked to about it gave it a really good recommendation.” She hasn’t quite decided what her major is going to be yet, “but that’s okay, because all of Oshkosh’s programs are really good.” She’ll definitely find something interesting to study.

Newman Catholic High School Class of 2012

Merriam has decided to stay close to home and attend University of Wisconsin–Marathon County, a two-year college. She decided on UWMC because, “My family wanted me to stay close, and going there for two years will help save money.” She has an undecided major as well, but she’s thinking about zoology.

Julie is going to University of Wisconsin–River Falls, in River Falls, Wisconsin. What particularly attracted her to River Falls was the excellent elementary education program. She also says, “I also love the campus and the extracurricular activities on campus – they do a lot of fun things like rodeos!”

There are a lot of exciting parts of college to look forward to. Merriam is looking forward to the variety of interesting classes she will take. Leslie is excited to make new friends that are from places other than her hometown. Julie is anticipating having a lot of fun with all the extracurricular activities on the UW-River Falls Campus.

However, there are a lot of challenges when it comes to moving from high school to college. Leslie is very nervous that she will gain the infamous “freshman fifteen” and not having enough extra spending money to go out with friends. Merriam is worried about making new friends; she hopes that everyone is open and friendly. Julie is anxious about leaving her family behind, but hopefully she will be able to visit home often.

Most importantly, these three seniors have several tips to give to the juniors as they start their own college search. Leslie and Julie stress that it is really important to visit the campus of each college you are interested in – then you do not have to apply to colleges that have an unsatisfactory campus. Merriam advises not to overanalyze your decision; your second thoughts may lead you to change your decision for the worse. Leslie also notes that you should make the decision on your own – don’t let your parents or older siblings make it for you, and feel free to apply to as many colleges in and out of state as you want.



by Merriam Mistlebauer

Four years.  Four years of memories, friendships, and classes.  With those four years coming to an end, decisions need to be made.  “Where will I be going to college?”, “what am I going to do with my life?”, and “I need a job” are becoming part of my mantra.  In making the decisions about college, I was a mess.  I was so convinced I would make the wrong decision that every time I thought about I got a headache.  I know I was not the only one because of what us senior girls talked about during lunch.  “I just don’t know” was the common response for college questions. 

I envied those who made a choice, because they seemed at least a little less stressed out than I was.  Then there were people who were in the same boat. 

Erin Gassner, a senior at Newman Catholic High, agreed to answer a few of the questions I had about her stressful experience.  When deciding on a college, a plethora of problems came up.  First, she wanted to make her parents happy by going to Saint Benedict’s College in Minnesota because she would be close to family.  Then, she decided that she did not have to go to that college because making the choice was her decision.  Finally, came her magical experience on her visit to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.  The place was a perfect match for her and everything became easy after that. 

When asked to give advice to others on the matters of deciding colleges, she simply stated that visiting the college is your best bet.   

by Morgan Lukes

We have finally reached the last days of the 2011-2012 school year, and all of the classes had some input about the end of the year. 

We started by talking to the senior class.  Most of them said they are very excited for the end of high school to be near, but they are going to miss many of the teachers and other students.  The seniors are looking forward to their futures ahead of them and can’t wait to get started.  Leslie Bychinski said, “I am looking forward to college and meeting lots of new people too”!

The next class we talked to was the juniors.  The juniors said they can’t wait for the next school year and are looking forward to being seniors; but they are going to miss many friends and other classmates over the summer. Merry Yang said, “I can’t wait for senior year because it’s going to be a blast with all of my friends and fellow classmates”.

             
The sophomores on the other hand aren’t really looking forward to coming back except a few of them are.  Most of them are going to miss friends and classmates over the summer.  Quite a few of them said they are going to miss the senior class because they are what kept the school fun and exciting to come to everyday.  Pashua Moua said, “I am enjoying high school so far, and I’m looking forward to many more memories it has to bring me”! 

           
Many of the freshmen are looking forward to returning because they all had an amazing first year.  They said they’re looking forward to coming back for more excitement and fun that the school has to offer.  They are going to miss the senior class because many of them became role models for them as freshmen; and they want to be like them as seniors. Jeffrey Ford said, “My freshmen year was full of surprises and excitement and hopefully next year will be the same”.

             
For the most part, everyone is looking forward to their futures and the coming school year; but everyone is going to miss friends, teachers, and graduating seniors.



by Maria Legenza

The struggle of balancing schoolwork, a social life, and obtaining a job in high school can be a stressful task to manage, especially in one’s senior year of high school.

Anne Zieglmeier, a senior here at Newman Catholic has been able to manage all these difficult tasks and continue to obtain a high GPA. Anne described how difficult it is to endure the homework load as a senior, including the senior project that was due first semester, applying for colleges, applying for scholarships, college placement tests, ACT tests, and the homework that is given. “This year has been the busiest academic year of my entire high school career, because I also have a job at IGA in Rothschild, where I work about 20 or more hours a week.” She does a great job of balancing her time wisely and learning her limits on certain extracurricular activities so that she can get all of her work done. Procrastination in not in her nature this year, because she knows how important it is to finish her homework and other assignments presented to her.



“Underclassmen need to start practicing the ability to balance a social life and homework as well, and most students here are in sports. By adding that into the equation of balancing a successful academic life can be difficult. I was able to pull through because being involved in so many activities can influence a better ability to manage your time.” Anne played volleyball her freshman and sophomore year, and played softball from her freshman to junior year. She had to make some sacrifices her senior year so that she could handle all the obstacles in her life, so she decided to retire from athletics to focus on her academics and her job. “Lately I haven’t been able to catch my breath because of senior year coming to an end and all the homework that is involved in finishing up this semester, more hours at IGA, and state choir and all of its preparation.”

Senior year is a vital time for learning how to balance many activities, and mastering that ability so that one is ready for college. College has many distractions and a much heavier work load compared to Newman Catholic, but Anne Zieglemeier feels that she is ready to endure the challenges placed in front of her. “Life after high school isn’t supposed to be easy, but with my supportive family and friends, I know I will be able to accomplish all my goals as a young adult.”  Any student is capable of dealing with the struggles of high with the help of a support system and a focused mindset.

Girls Soccer Works Toward Goals

by Adam Hoffmann

The Newman Girls Soccer team has been off to a great start in the 2012 season.  After losing a few talented seniors from last year, the team has come back even stronger.  The team has won every game so far with the exception of tying Lakeland, who is in the same conference, and Assumption, who is in a separate conference, going into the game Tuesday against Lakeland.  Newman is currently sitting on top of the conference with a few more tough games still to play.  Unfortunately on Tuesday the team suffered their first lost against Lakeland the second time they met on the field.

           

Senior captain Grace Kennedy, who plays left defender for the Newman girls soccer team, says “the key to beating these teams is communicating better”.  One of the problems she stated was a lack of communication.  This is the area in which the team is trying to improve the most.  Once this problem is fixed, they will have a much greater chance of defeating their opponents.

           

Kennedy also stated about the team chemistry that, “this year has had the best team chemistry out of all of my four years.  We have starters from all grades which has helped the team bond.”  It is clear that the team gets along with each other and knows each other very well.  This component is very helpful when trying to play with one another.

           

As a major part of the solid defense, Kennedy commented on the defense, “we had a few problems with communicating but we have been working on it and it has improved greatly helping the midfield and team keeping our shape on the field.”  The defense at the beginning of the season had some problems and gaps.  After specifically working hard in practice on defense, these errors have been fixed.  It is clear that the defense is one of the best around, letting in only 6 goals so far this season.

           

As a team goal, they want to win conference.  From there, they want to get to state.  The team has confidence that this is a definite possibility.  With only a few games left in the season against some tough opponents, they must take home victories.  By winning some more big games, the team will be seeded high for regionals and sectionals, increasing their chance of qualifying for state.

Senior Forensics Stand Out

by Sara Vesel

Forensics, or the art or study of augmentation and debate, is a club offered at Newman Catholic High School with Mr. Fry, the freshman and sophomore English teacher and assistant soccer coach, as the advisor.  It is a fun, positive, independent club where each member or team of people picks a topic from poetry reading to radio speaking and performs at sub district, district, and potentially, state level competitions. 

This year, the only forensics member to make it to state was Erin Gassner, a senior.  She performed in the comedic solo acting category with a piece from “A…My Name is Still Alice” by Kate Shein.  The selection is about a girl having a “forensic nightmare”.  She freaks out at a forensics meet and forgets her lines.  “I chose this piece because it is really funny, and I have always done some sort of solo acting piece whether it was comedic or serious,” said Erin Gassner. 

As a participant in numerous plays and shows through DDH Dance Academy and Central Wisconsin Children’s Theatre, or CWCT, she is a natural when it comes to performing in front of audiences.  She also participated in forensics both sophomore and junior year.  In her sophomore year she received a silver medal at state and junior year she earned a bronze.  This year, when she took her piece to the state competition, she received a gold, the highest rating.

"To do well in forensics, you have to practice.  You also have to pick a piece you really like, and don't pick a piece just because you think it'll please the judges.  It's supposed to be fun, so you shouldn't be nervous," Erin Gassner advises, "and if you do get nervous, remember that everyone else is probably nervous too.  Just picture everyone in their underwear."

Forensics is a club that allows people to use and develop their speaking skills in a fun, competitive way.  "You should join forensics because it looks great on applications.  You also develop good public speaking, memorization, and creative skills.  My favorite part about forensics is being able to explore different aspects of performance and watching others perform,” Erin Gassner said.

Erin Gassner has described her time in forensics as "an awesome experience", and she should be very proud of herself for doing so well.  Forensics can help strengthen you academically and socially through the things you learn and people you meet.  Altogether, forensics is a great way to meet different people, develop educationally, and have a good time.  If you are interested in joining forensics, the 2012-2013 season will begin in November.  This is an open club for all students at Newman Catholic Schools, and you should consider joining.

Girls Basketball Makes Unexpected Return to State

By Maria Legenza

The Newman Fighting Cardinals is a name that definitely applies to the girl’s basketball team this 2011-2012 season. They continue to bring the heat in every game with their strong defense, aggressive offense, and great team dynamics. Their modesty in pride is recognized through their abilities to have great success and accept the win and learn to continue that drive.

The mission statement for the Newman Catholic athletics is this: “Newman Catholic Schools’ athletic programs are dedicated to fostering a competitive sports program which emphasizes the need for teamwork, dedication, discipline, school and team pride, and respect for self, teammates, coaches, opponents and officials.” As with all athletic teams that exemplify this motto, this certainly applies to the Newman Catholic Girls Basketball team. The way they flow as one on the court, intern grants them the success that they work so hard to achieve.

Brianna Jehn, a starting senior states, “Each year we continue to grow, improve, and fight. Losing many talented players this past year put a lot of pressure on me and my teammates to continue the success of girls basketball.” There was a definite pressure on the senior class of 2012 to take the reigns for the graduated seniors from 2011. With their obvious success in all there games, and a record of 16-1, they are bringing the fire from last year and applied it with the new players.

Jehn says, “We stay focused in the gym, work on our plays, and condition our bodies and minds. I am proud of the accomplishments we have attained this year.”  This year, and many other years in the past, this on going success of the Newman Catholic Girls Basketball continues to flourish.

The Benefits of Guidance

by Morgan Lukes

Through my four years of high school, we have gone through many different faculty members.  One of the faculty positions that has changed over the years is our guidance counselor position.  Over my four years of high school, as a senior, I have seen three different guidance counselors: Mrs. LeVeque, Mr. Thoreson, and now Mr. Kelter. 

Mrs. LeVeque was here when we were freshman and sophomores.  We could go to her about anything or any problem and she was willing to help us out.  She was a great lady and a great counselor.  I’m sure if you ask any senior or junior, they will tell you that they loved going to talk to Mrs. LeVeque because she was fun to talk to and everyone loved playing with the toys on her desk.

Mr. Kelter

For our junior year, we had Mr. Thoreson.  Mr. Thoreson was a good guidance counselor.  He was always on the seniors, telling them to get this and that done for their future if they wanted to succeed.  He was also helpful to underclassmen whether they needed to talk about something or change their schedule in some way.  Mr. Thoreson was a good guidance counselor for this school; he always kept people moving.  Mr. Thoreson is now our assistant principal, dean of students, and athletic director.

Now we have Mr. Kelter as our new guidance counselor at Newman Catholic.  He is constantly on the run getting everyone’s attention.  He is always keeping the students on track and motivated.  He is always on us, as seniors, to get our college applications in, and to do many other things concerning our senior year.  Mr. Kelter is definitely the man to fill this position effectively for the foreseeable future at Newman Catholic.

Newman's Got A New Club

By Thayeng Lee

Newman’s Got Talent is a club where students can exhibit their talents and show them off. During half-time of the basketball games, students in Newman’s Got Talent can show off their different talents to the crowd. There is a meeting every week during lunch where students can come and discuss their ideas of what they want to do. Ideas  could include acting out a play, singing, playing an instrument, dancing, or other things. There can be many other options that will be considered.

Erin Gassner, the vice president of Newman’s Got Talent, says that the students can decide what to do during half-time of basketball games. Also, Gassner says that there will be a Variety or Talent Show later this year. She thinks that this is a really good club and she hopes that it will continue.

The advisor for this club is Mr. Thoreson; he was the one who started Newman’s Got Talent. He started this club so that Newman can show off their many gifts and talents to other people.

Boys Soccer Returns to State

by Thayeng Lee

The Newman Catholic boys soccer team returned to the state tournament in Milwaukee this year after staying undefeated in conference and winning both regionals and sectionals. It was a hard fought battle against The Prairie School, but in the end Newman lost 6-0 in the semi-finals. Even though they didn’t win state, the team is proud to have gone to state twice in a row.

Coach Switalski said that this year was a fantastic season in terms of wins and losses. “Not very many people thought Newman could go to state this year,” said Coach Switalski. He also believed that all the soccer players grew from this year’s season, and that they all strived to do their very best.

Switalski added that he is very encouraged that everyone picked up their game, but he is a little concerned about the number of soccer players for next year. Switalski said that next year it is always a possibility to go to state again, and everyone is going to have to work hard and build from realistic goals.    

Big Changes at Newman Catholic

by Maria Legenza

The current school year at Newman Catholic has seen many changes. Some examples of the changes include new office members, new teachers, and a new principal. These are some of the biggest changes Newman Catholic has ever experienced. The new members to the Newman family have created a driven environment, which has pushed the students further then they ever have been pushed before.

On Wednesday, October 26^th, the office saw a drastic change when Mrs. Lambrecht retired from Newman Catholic Schools. She was working in the office as the heart of the school for over thirty years. This was a major occurrence for Newman to handle because whenever you needed help, guidance, a hall pass, or any information, she always knew exactly how to help with each individual issue or problem. The staff has now filled in her position with multiple facility members working together to run the office smoothly. Although the changes with her leaving have been difficult to adapt to, the school has been doing a great job of remaining strong and running efficiently.

Miss McRoberts and Mrs. Taggetz are the new teachers in the high school wing. These teachers have been selected wisely because they had large positions to fill. Miss McRoberts is teaching all the junior and senior English classes, including the AP courses, and Mrs. Taggetz is teaching the freshman religion classes. Miss McRoberts’ intelligence in English has provided the students with a challenge and will continue to influence a brighter future with students being more prepared for college. Mrs. Taggetz’s position is vital because it is giving the freshman the base of their foundation in religion and knowledge of the subject. Together they have provided Newman Catholic with challenging but rewarding teaching that will continue to push the students toward success.

Mr. Delikowski

In 2010 we lost a great principal, Mr. Theiss, which caused Newman Catholic to be on the search to fill this important position. God has blessed the system with an amazing man named James Delikowski. Upon meeting him, everyone could tell from his enthusiasm and determination that he was the perfect fit for Newman Catholic as principal of both the middle and high schools. These were big shoes to fill, and Mr. Delikowski has done an amazing job so far this year in providing the best experience for the students. The positivity he portrays through his personality and willingness to listen to each student has created at Newman Catholic an environment of success and excitement. He has adapted to the Newman family, and has shown great love of his position and the students attending this school.

Newman Catholic Clubs In High Gear

by Maria Legenza

The 2011-12 school year of is off to a great start with the Newman Catholic High School clubs having new students in leadership positions. In Key Club, Maria Legenza is President and Anne Zieglemeier is Vice President. This dynamic duo has been working hard to turn this year’s Key Club into a fun, inviting club offering many volunteer opportunities. Recently the club traveled to Wisconsin Dells for the Fall Rally which gave them new ideas for the club and more options for improving. The big events coming up for Key Club include The Festival of Trees, new matching club t-shirts, Make a Difference Day, raking leaves, and various Kiwanis activities or projects.

There is also exciting news for the Key Club this year! They have conjoined with Wausau West’s Key Club, and together they have been working on getting to know each other socially, and they have been creating more volunteer opportunities between them. They are welcome to participate in our service projects, and we are welcome to join theirs. It is a great way to get to know the greater Wausau community and other high school students willing to make a difference in their community.

The Pep Club, with newly elected President Leslie Bychinski and Vice President Daley Rupar, is working hard together this year to bring more school spirit and enthusiasm to Newman Catholic High School. They did a great job organizing the motorcade for homecoming this year, with the many signs made for the game, and car paint and balloons for every single car. They are now bringing Halloween back to Newman Catholic! They have organized fun Halloween activities to do and dress-up days to participate in. Pep Club continues to bring energy and enthusiasm to Newman Catholic High School.

This year, National Honor Society is determined to accomplish many more tasks in our community than ever before.  In 2011-12, the club is going to be supporting the local Humane Society.  Most recently, these students have been making dog chew toys out of old t-shirts to donate to the Humane Society. Determination, organization, and precision are the three main goals for this club; they wish to continue this idea of success for the future.

Foreign Exchange Frenzy

by Erin Gassner

                                                        

Newman Catholic High School has always had a history of providing foreign exchange students with a new and exciting experience. This year, we are fortunate to host two foreign exchange students: Zsnaett Peter and Donato D’Onghia.

Zsanett Peter is 17 years old and is from the mid-European country of Hungary. She became interested in being a foreign exchange student when she saw a presentation of the Global Outreach program, which is dedicated to providing quality experiences for foreign exchange students.

Zsanett enjoys dancing, playing piano in Newman Catholic’s own jazz band, singing, and playing tennis. She played junior varsity tennis this fall and even got a spread in the Wausau Daily Herald. She enjoys how Americans are more calm and don’t take things too seriously and how different the education system is.

Donato D'Onghia

Donato D’Onghia, age 17, is from Italy. He made a bet with his family: he wanted to prove that he could, basically, live without them for a year. He wanted to come to America to prove himself to his family and to try new experiences. At first it was difficult to get in the swing of things, but now Donato is having a great time in America with his new friends.

Outside of school, Donato enjoys Facebook and watching television and also takes dance classes. Since coming to America, he has tried and loved many different types of new food. He also loves the fact that he gets to have his own locker to put his books and other materials inside, versus carrying all of them around with him.

Both Donato and Zsanett have been enjoying their foreign exchange experience. We hope that the rest of the year will as enjoyable as the first two months have been!