Senior Projects Presented

By Gaonou Lo

On your mark, get set, here comes Senior Project!  Every year, seniors are required to do Senior Project, which becomes part of their first semester grades.  It is a required class at Newman Catholic; either you do it or receive a zero.  It allows students to be independent and choose a topic of interest. 

The project starts toward the end of junior year, when juniors have to start thinking about what topic they want to research.  It wraps up the following November, during senior year. 

One thing that Nicole Cornell would change about Senior Project is to make the due date at the end of third quarter or before spring break because it would allow more time for seniors to work and might avoid some senior slide. 

The seniors worked very hard on their Senior Projects this year.  On December 17, 2010, presentations were held for fellow students, the underclassmen, and outside visitors.

Peppermint 2010 Court Selected

By Makayla Heisler

Peppermint 2010 will be Saturday, December 18 at the Rose Garden. Around 130 people will attend the winter formal. However, there are a few individuals who will stand out from the rest; this group of people is the 2010 Peppermint Court.

To be on court a person must have completed eight hours of Pep Club related services to the school; this would include things like 50/50 Raffles, locker signs, and posters. They also have to have completed other requirements, such as handing in their dues and being an active member in this year’s Pep Club.

Evan Olson will be running unopposed for Peppermint King this year. Nicole Cornell, Stephanie Thomson, Terese Dlobik, and Makayla Heisler are the individuals running for Peppermint Queen. Good luck to all who are running!

Newman Catholic Supports One of Our Own

By Logan Gajewski

Newman Catholic High School has hosted two fundraisers that have helped benefit the Resch family in a time of need.  The first fundraiser was held on November 19th, where students brought in either $2 or $3; the money then went to benefit the family.  The students who chose to bring in $2 were allowed to wear jeans, while those who brought in $3 were allowed a comfy day. 

The second fundraiser was the Penny War, held during the week of November 15^th through the 19^th, where students competed against one another’s classes by placing money into their classes’ money jars located in Mrs. Lambrecht’s office.  Pennies, checks, and cash counted as positive towards the class, while silver change was counted as negative towards another class’s total.  The winning class, the sophomores, contributed $215 in cash and pennies, and will receive a comfy week of their choosing. 

The Penny War was very successful, as all classes contributed a good amount of money.  In total, all four classes combined raised just $7 shy of $1,000 for the Resch family.  The school would like to thank all the students who participated in the Penny War and Jeans Day to support the Resch family.

The Last of the Pioneers

By Marshall De Lonay

As Newman Catholic High School continues on its first year as a combined middle school and high school, there should be time for remembrance of those who came before us.  Many of the students at Newman Catholic High School do not even know the rich history that we have always had.  Many students do not even know that we were not always at the location we are today.  In fact our school was actually at St. Mary’s school while our current building, which was being built at the time, was being finished.  The last class that came from St. Mary’s has a great story to tell all of us newcomers.

Joanne Schlaefer, previously known as Joanne Acheureiner, was a member of the class of 1959, the class everyone called “The Last of the Pioneers.”  This class was called “The Last of the Pioneers” because they were the final class from the St. Mary’s school. They actually went to St. James for their freshman year because the school at St. Mary’s was so packed already; then they were moved up to the new building their sophomore year, thus making them the class of the Newman Catholic Pioneers.

“When we did the crossover to the new building it was like we crossed over to Cali,” stated Joanne Schlaefer in her interview.  “We were all so happy to be starting at a new school and we did not even come up with the name for ourselves, they just always deemed us “The Last of the Pioneers.” Of course we did not mind the attention.” 

When asked about the environment of the school, Joanne stated, “The classes were much bigger, that’s for sure.  We also bought the picture of Cardinal Newman that now stands in our entryway and no one stepped on the “N” either.  Back then there wasn’t a gate or anything blocking someone from walking on it, but everyone just kind of parted around it.  The classes were all a decent size and for the most part everyone got along.”

It seems that some things will never be forgotten and the Class of ’59 is a classic example of that.  A special thanks to Joanne Schlaefer for the insight and history she provided, and remember that she and her class will never be forgotten.  When we walk down the halls and see the Class of ’59, we will all know their story, how much this building meant to them, and how much they did for this school.  How will we leave our mark on Newman Catholic High School?  Only time can tell.

Pep Club Proposes Dance Team

By Brianna Bratland

The Pep Club advisor, Mrs. Kronberger, wants to enhance Newman Catholic High School’s school spirit. 

School spirit posters are hung around the school, but posters are not always enough.  Posters do not express the school spirit of the students at Newman Catholic.

There are many things that Pep Club does to cheer on Newman Catholic during pep rallies and sporting events like making signs, cheering at pep rallies, and participating in singing the school song.  At sporting events people cheer on Newman Catholic, but no cheers are really ever started by the students.  Pep Club’s duty is to bring that school spirit to the games and make up cheers that the students can follow to cheer on the sports teams. 

One idea Pep Club has proposed is a dance team at sporting events.  A group of people would compile dance steps that the crowd could follow to cheer on the sports teams.  This is not to be taken as a cheerleading squad.  The idea of the dance team is to motivate the crowd at the sporting events to dance and enhance school spirit.  The dance team committee will propose the dance steps to the advisor Mrs. Kronberger, and if she likes them then they can present them to the principal of Newman Catholic, Mr. Theiss. 

Pep Club President Stephanie Thompson thinks that the dance team will be successful if the dance is well thought out and easy for others to learn.  “It will be an exciting addition and will give the crowd more to cheer for.”

Adjustments to School Mass

By Gaonou Lo

Once again Newman Catholic has started out at a great pace, even with all the reconfigurations.  There have been a few new arrangements in facilities and schedules; the high school schedule has been arranged so that it will not conflict with the middle school schedule.  One of these new arrangements is that we have mass every Wednesday instead of having it every other Thursday,. 

Many students have stated that Wednesday mass schedules are usually difficult to keep up.  Mass is in the middle of the week and when one is accustomed to memorizing the regular schedule, a sudden switch to a different one is hard to remember. 

Not everyone finds the Mass schedule difficult to remember however.  One student in particular feels like it is a good idea having Mass every Wednesday.  “It is good for our Catholic faith because it brings us closer to our school-mates,” said Julie Buttzlaff. 

           

Another factor that comes along with the changes is that instead of having one big Mass Music group it is split into three smaller groups due to its larger size.  We also have the privilege to have two priests, Father Bob and Father Michaud leading Mass this year due to the combining of the high school and middle school students. 

It might take some time to get accustomed to the Mass changes at Newman Catholic, but in the end it will be something the students are going to get used to.

Math Club Competes

By Jonathon Kraft

After a seven year break, the math team of Newman Catholic High School has been revived, now under the direction of Mr. Barbella. There were nine students from Newman Catholic High School who participated in the recent Central Wisconsin Mathematics League Competition.

There are many members in Newman Catholic High School math club, but nine competed, including four in the advanced section, two in Algebra II and three from Geometry. The results of the November 4^th meet will be posted within the next few weeks. The next meet is scheduled for January 29^th, where Newman Catholic High School plans to send another three teams.

At the most recent meet, Nick Cornell, Nate Martin, Sam McCarty and Taylor Thomas represented the advanced math section. The members of the Algebra II group were Emily Coates and Morgan Lukes. Danielle Gorski, Thomas Kita and Teagan Leitzke were a part of the Geometry section.

According to Mr. Barbella, “The meet consists of solving problems, more challenging than routinely encountered in mathematics class.” Each level is based on the students current math enrollment; Advanced (Precalculus or higher), Algebra II and Geometry. This competition spans three annual meets on the UW Stevens Point campus, where approximately 300 students from more than two dozen schools from the area compete.

In addition to challenging mathematics course offered at Newman Catholic High School, the Math Club is a great way for students to put their knowledge to the test.

40 Days For Life Raises Abortion Awareness

By Logan Gajewski

We all know the Catholic Church has always opposed abortions.  If you were wondering what you could do to help with this important issue, there is an opportunity.  Our school is participating in 40 Days for Life, which is an organization that helps raise public awareness about abortions through prayer.  If you are looking to participate, the group will be meeting during Lent at the Family Planning facility right here in Wausau.

The first session of 40 Days for Life, in the fall, is now over.  Those that attended know how helpful the program can be.  While the first session was a success, it could have been a lot better in terms of attendance.  Those who have attended already are encouraged to inform those who have not gone yet on what 40 Days for Life is all about.

The group goes out and prays publicly in front of clinics that offer aid for abortions such as the Family Planning facility.  These sessions are very helpful in raising awareness against the abortion issue.  Considering that abortion has been legal for years, this program has the potential to change people’s minds on abortion.  However it is going to require a lot of help from the local community, as well as the Newman Catholic community. 

Newman Catholic students especially can take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen themselves in their faith and make a real difference in the community and issue at hand.  The more people that can show up each week, the better; everyone is invited to participate and is encouraged to bring friends, family, or whoever else you know that would be interested.  Help raise awareness on abortion, make a difference, and participate in 40 Days for Life this coming Lenten season.



Don't Tread On Newman Catholic

By Marshall De Lonay

Newman Catholic Schools have always prided themselves with their respect and honor for school history and tradition, but one of those traditions has fallen by the wayside.  The Newman “N”, as it has been called, does not have the high respect that it used to.  In the front entranceway of the high school, the “N” is a prominent feature on the tile and its history and story are one that should never be forgotten.

The “N” was made when the school first opened. It was actually made by Ed Creske, now of Wausau Tile, and was his claim to fame.  Once he made the Newman “N”, his name spread like wildfire and everyone, especially the school, was astounded by his tile inlay work and because of this some students came up with an idea. 

Mr. Robison stated recently, “I believe some seniors in the 60’s decided it would be a good idea to put up a barrier of some sort around the “N” to make sure no one would step on it.  It was there when I went to school here and I’m not really sure why it was taken out.”  The barrier in question was a heavy metal ring that encompassed the “N” and was very heavy to move, so even if someone bumped into it, it would not move.  It was put up for numerous reasons, one of those being school support and respect.  The “N” was a symbol of the school and to walk on it was like desecrating the school.  During this time there also was an issue with opposing schools.  When they came for games and they lost the worst thing they could do on the way out was to step on the “N”. With the barrier up it was impossible for them to do so. 

“It was taken out about 12 years ago,” stated Mr. Robison.  “I believe the reason why it was taken out was because it was more of a nuisance than expected and we had to cut it in half to even move it down the steps,” explained Mr. Robison when asked what happened to the barrier.  The barrier is still in the school, in Mr. Robison’s room and it is still in only two parts.  When asked whether he would like it to return Mr. Robison said, “It could possibly come back and I personally would not have a problem putting it back in because it shows such respect for the school.” A lot of others have the same feelings towards the “N” as he does. 

What better way to show respect for our school and to keep traditions alive at Newman Catholic than bringing back a memory and admiration for our school.  Replacing the barrier around the “N” would not only do all of these things, but it would hopefully allow the younger generations to understand the respect we have for our school.

Newman Catholic Gymnast Competes in La Crosse

By Bailey Dillon

Bailey Dillon, a gymnast from Newman Catholic is part of the Woodson YMCA gymnastics program in Wausau.  On October 30^th in La Crosse, WI, she had her first meet of the season.

Dillon earned a 5.7 out of a 10.0 for two falls and a pause on bars and a 7.1 for four falls on beam.  She did not earn any score on floor because she rolled her ankle during her floor routine and did not have the physical ability to finish the event.  Due to her injury she had to skip the tongue vault. 

Dillon said she was “proud that I was positive, and proud to see my sisters have fun out there, and I am upset that my body gave up on me, but that’s what happens when you get older.” 

Bailey Dillon’s next gymnastics meet will be the weekend of November 13 and 14 in Appleton, WI, at the Appleton YMCA.  We wish good luck to the Whirler’s Gymnast at the Woodson YMCA. 

Cardinals March On In Football Postseason

By Adam Rutz

Before Newman Catholic’s season started, they had one goal: to win a playoff game. After finishing the regular season 5-4, Newman was paired up with Suring in Level 1 of the WIAA Football Playoffs, and they finally won their first playoff game in school history with a 25-0 victory over the Eagles, at Suring. Moving on to the second round, Newman Catholic was determined to keep the hot streak alive, and they did so by routing the Rio Vikings 42-7, at Stiehm Stadium this past Saturday.

With a balanced offensive attack, Newman Catholic started the game out with a score on their first drive on a 25-yard touchdown run by senior running back Luke Prososki. The Cards’ defense then recovered a Rio fumble, which led to seven more points for Newman Catholic after junior tailback Brad Knoblock scored on a 6-yard touchdown run. They weren’t finished though in the first quarter, as quarterback Andy Wilke added to the lead with a 1-yard touchdown that he took into the end zone himself, putting Newman Catholic up 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Brad Knoblock ran in his second touchdown of the game in the second quarter, giving Newman Catholic a 28-0 lead. Newman Catholic’s offense suffered a big loss though later in the second quarter as Knoblock broke his leg and will miss the remainder of the season. However, Newman Catholic kept on going and Prososki was able to pick the Cardinals running game up as he finished with 163 yards on 10 carries and two touchdowns. With a 28-0 lead already, Newman Catholic scored once more before that first half came to an end on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Andy Wilke to Ryan Strasser.

Prososki’s second touchdown came in the third quarter, when he took a 46-yard run to the end zone, to put Newman Catholic up 42-0. Though the Rio offense was able to get on the scoreboard when Danny Strause ran in a 32-yard touchdown, the 35-point deficit was too big to come back from. “Our line blocked really well, and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them” said Prososki, who led the team with 163 rushing yards. Newman Catholic absolutely destroyed the Rio defense in the 42-7 win, as they made history by winning again in the post-season.

“Anytime you can start the game out with a 21-0 lead, it helps everything”, said Newman Catholic Head Coach Paul Michlig. “I was very impressed with the way all three phases of the team played. The offense, defense, and special teams all did a great job, and that is why we won the game.” Newman Catholic now plays the Randolph Rockets tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Stiehm Stadium.

The Cardinals will be in for a tough match-up as they take on an undefeated Randolph team, but it should be a very good game as the two teams match-up very well. “Randolph has a solid running back (Brian Kampstra), probably the best we have seen this far. Their line is as big as a lot of college teams, so we will have to prepare well and take care of business against them on Saturday”, said Michlig. Brian Kampstra is the biggest threat on the Randolph offense, tallying 1440 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns this year.

Saturday’s game will be a very exciting one, as Newman Catholic is trying to win another playoff game, which would make even more history for the program. Losing Knoblock last week was a big setback for the team, however they have so much depth on this year’s team that they will be able to fill his place with other players. The Cards are two victories away from playing at the WIAA State Championship in Madison, and are looking to stay hot in the postseason.

Publications Class Builds Momentum

By Tawni Ruesch and Brianna Bratland

Last year, the Newman Catholic High School Publications Class worked on the newspaper and the yearbook with a limited class of less than ten students.  But with the help of new types of promotions, new faces, and a lot of hard work, the publications class of 2010-2011 is looking better than ever.

The new and improved publications class has been enhanced very much by the fact that more students are involved in the Red Hat. There are more interesting stories, due to the weekly meetings in class and discussions of article ideas.  For two years, Publications Class student Makayla Heisler said, the Publications Class was seen as a “slacker class,” because of the number of students enrolled in the class and the deadlines that were not met.  This year the students are not only improving their writing skills, but they are also getting more done, which leaves room for more creativity. 

In the yearbook many improvements are already being made and we are only two months into the year.  “There is more of a creative flow and things are much more diverse,” says Makayla, about how the yearbook compares to last year’s.  “All pages are unique and well done, which makes for a great yearbook in the end.  I think many people will be pleased with it.” 

The only struggle that the Publications Class seems to be facing is reaching out to the high school students to get them to read the articles that are posted online at the new Red Hat blog site.  The positive side to this dilemma is that the articles are getting a lot more feedback from alumni.  It is more convenient on the internet than a print newspaper is, because anyone who reads it does not have to throw it away when they are finished, which saves paper.  We are proud to say that this year’s publications class is definitely new and improved.  



The Beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman

by Makayla Heisler and Hannah Reeves

Newman Catholic High School is named after Blessed John Henry Newman. Today his prayer can be seen throughout our school building and our website. We follow Blessed John Henry Newman’s vision of following God and trusting him to help us through our struggles. We also take on his mission to help others to the best of our abilities, and we follow his passion in learning and education at a deeper level.

John Henry was born in London in 1801. Born into an Anglican family; he converted to Christianity when he was 15. He then went on to gain a higher education at Trinity College, beginning an association with Oxford University that lasted for about thirty years.

Newman was officially received into the Catholic Church on October 9, 1845 and was ordained to the priesthood the next year. His work with the Church included establishing the Oratory of St. Philip Neri near Birmingham in 1848 and helping to create the Catholic University of Ireland, which he served as rector from 1854 to 1858. He also continued his writings that include several documents and texts that are still being read today.

In order to be canonized one must go through the first and second steps of the canonization process. Blessed John Henry Newman has already gone through Positio and he has recently gone through Beatification. To go through Positio, one must have been dead for five years and have their life evaluated very carefully; they must decide if he lived a holy, Catholic life. Blessed John Henry Newman just needed one miracle attributed to him for beatification in order to receive the term “Blessed.”

The Catholic Church has accepted the cure of an American deacon’s spinal disorder as Blessed John Henry Newman’s miracle.  Jack Sullivan, a 69-year old Permanent Deacon from Marshfield near Boston, Massachusetts, was suffering from an extremely serious spinal disorder when he prayed to Blessed John Henry Newman, and was healed of his spinal disorder on August 15, 2001. This miracle was studied by many experts, including priests and doctors, and was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on July 3, 2009.

The ceremony for the Beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman took place on September 19, 2010 in Birmingham, England.

God has created me to do him some definite service
He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another
I have my mission
I may never know it in this life But I shall be told it in the next
I am a link in a chain
A bond of connection between persons
He has not created me for naught
I shall do good -- I shall do His work

Prayer excerpt by Blessed John Henry Newman

Origins of the Red Hat

By Jon Kraft and Matt Schneider

The staff of the Red Hat has been a long standing part of Newman Catholic history since its creation in the late 1950’s.

Looking back in history, the name is believed to have been inspired by the red hat Blessed John Henry Newman wore as a Cardinal in the Catholic church. In the 60’s the Mad Hatters was a club of journalistically minded students located upstairs.  Unlike other clubs, their office was located at the top of the north stairs of the high school. At that time, the newspaper came out every five weeks.  During this time, the yearbook was a special edition of the school paper, with the newspaper as a spread in the center of the yearbook.

In the 1990’s, a beloved alumni known to many, Mr. Michlig, was a part of the Red Hat in his days at Newman Catholic High School. Due to the overabundance of members, the Red Hat transformed into two classes, split into publications and yearbook. In the mid 90’s, the bi-weekly newspaper was a five page spread containing photos and articles pertaining to current events in both the school and the surrounding city.

The Newman Catholic Red Had has long been an interweaved part of our history, which gives our school a unique connection to the world of journalism.

Taylor Thomas to Join UW-Green Bay Basketball Program

By Paige Gelling

She shoots…she scores! In the Fall of 2011, Newman Catholic’s very own Taylor Thomas plans to attend the University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Taylor was offered, and has accepted, a full ride to Green Bay on a basketball scholarship, and plans to sign with Green Bay this November.

Taylor chose Green Bay for a few reasons. The school offered her intended academic field of study and she noticed their highly-esteemed basketball team. “The girls on the team are awesome and the coaches are really cool. They were ranked in the top 25 nationally last season, and I knew I wanted to be a part of a successful program.”

Taylor is also an outstanding student and hopes to gain academic as well as athletic success during her time at Green Bay. She said, “There are a lot of academic advantages such as priority class scheduling and having access to more internship opportunities. Also, a lot of professionals in the community are season ticket holders and are boosters for the team, and those relationships will give me a one-up over a lot of other applicants when I’m applying for jobs after college.”

Taylor knows it will take a lot of hard work, but she is up for the challenge. “One thing I’m dreading is the conditioning – it’s so intense. It will really be worth it in the end though when we are successful. I’m most looking forward to the non-conference tournaments. The team has one over Thanksgiving break in Cancun, Mexico, and one during the summer before my sophomore year in Greece!” With a little motivation, determination, and talent, she is sure to go far in Green Bay and her life after college.  Good luck Taylor from the whole Newman Catholic community!

Students Balance School, Work and Play

By Brianna Bratland and Tawni Ruesch

Many students of Newman Catholic High School deal with having to balance school, and the after school activities that they participate in. 

A large majority of students participate in sports, a job, or both.  Everything requires time, effort, and motivation to continue.  The students of Newman Catholic find ways to balance their activities as well as receiving good grades.

Julie Butzlaff, a senior at Newman Catholic, sometimes finds it hard to balance school, work, and life.  “I like the responsibility of having a job, but sometimes I find it hard to concentrate on doing all my homework, and getting through the work day.”  Julie is not the only one that feels this way. 

Senior Justin Baumann also finds it hard to concentrate on the school work while doing his after school activities.  “I volunteer at the hospital and work on my Uncles farm,” says Justin.  “By the end of the night I am tired and just want to go to bed, but school is important to me and I will stay up all night to get my work done.”

Jon Kraft, a senior, has to take on the responsibility of balancing school, soccer, and a job at the hospital. “All my homework comes first,” said senior Jon Kraft. “As long as I get my homework done I am happy.”

With after school activities comes the responsibility to get the homework done, and maintain life outside of school.  Students learn as they grow up that life does not always work the way they want it to, but with life comes responsibility and Newman Catholic High students are good examples of responsible, active students. 

Open Campus Privileges Earned

By Marshall De Lonay

Open campus for seniors has always been a high privilege and the seniors at Newman Catholic High School have finally received that right.  It has been a long four years of anticipation for the new seniors and they are very relieved to have this new found freedom.  Mr. Larry Theiss recently discussed the limitations and the requirements to obtain open campus.

The students have to show good moral conduct before and during homecoming in order to receive the open campus privilege.  When asked why the faculty does not allow the seniors to go off campus from the first day of school, Mr. Theiss responded, “We have never given the seniors off campus from the first day of school.  The faculty needed to consult the seniors’ behavior after homecoming and discuss whether or not we should allow them to obtain this right in the event of a prank or other incidents that could have occurred.”

“There have never been any major incidents with open campus that have caused us to retract the privilege; there have been a few tardies but nothing to that extent of revoking the ability to go off campus,” stated Mr. Theiss when asked about the implications for taking the privilege of open campus away from the seniors. 

Last Thursday was the first day the seniors could go off campus for lunch and they did very well.  The seniors are showing great leadership for the younger students by showing they can have the freedom they want and also be able to come to class on time.  The seniors are great role models and so far the faculty and staff are very happy with what they have seen from the seniors. 

Newman Catholic Manhandles Beavers, Clinches Playoff Spot

By Adam Rutz

The Newman Catholic Cardinals football team’s streak of clinching a playoff spot continued last Thursday, as the Cards ran all over the Augusta defense in a big 41-12 victory. From the start of the game, Newman Catholic’s offense was rolling and the Augusta Beavers couldn’t find a way to stop them. Entering the locker room at half time down 34-0, Augusta wasn’t able to come back and put up a fight in the second half.

           

Junior tailback Brad Knoblock started the game with a 13-yard touchdown run, and found the end zone twice more after that in the first half. He led the Cardinals with 126 rushing yards on 13 carries. Luke Prososki also added two touchdown’s on five carries for 69 yards for Newman Catholic before half time.

“I thought we played a good first half, and we came out and did what we needed to do. Football is all about execution and we did that very well Thursday night” said Newman Catholic head coach Paul Michlig. He has led the Fighting Cardinals to three consecutive playoff appearances now, and the program is doing very well.

“It feels great to get back to the playoffs” said Knoblock. “We worked really hard for this all season, and we are starting to click here at the right time. Hopefully we can get past the first round this year and go deep into the playoffs.”

Newman Catholic took on the Assumption Royals Thursday night at Stiehm Stadium at 7:00 p.m.  The Cardinals were in need of a win in order to have a better shot at getting a home game in the first round of the playoffs, and were looking for crowd support on Senior Night at “The Pit”.

New Faces Include Students Too

By Gaonou Lo

Newman Catholic High School began this year with new configurations and with new students.  One student’s mother got remarried, which caused the student, Mai Thao Xiong, to move to the Wausau area.  For the most part, Mai Thao likes Newman because most of the students are very kind and helpful. 

Before Mai Thao attended Newman Catholic, she attended a public school in St. Paul, Minnesota and there were almost 200 people in her class.  Transitioning from 200 people to between 30 and 40 people was very interesting for her.  For now, she says that she does not have a favorite teacher or a favorite subject and has not joined any clubs yet.  She has been busy with school work, so she has not had the time to sign up for clubs.

The one thing that Mai Thao would change about Newman Catholic is the dress code.  She was used to wearing jeans to school, so the dress code is a new experience for her.  Newman Catholic School and community is happy to have her and is hoping to see her expand academically and spiritually throughout the year.

High Notes in the Music Program

By Paige Gelling

The halls of Newman Catholic are filled with the sounds of songs such as “Navy Hymn,” “Seasons of Love,” and “Just Friends” as the music department prepares for their Fall Concert. This year’s concert will be held on Monday, October 18, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the NCHS gymnasium.

               

The concert will feature all three branches of the music department; Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Concert Choir. Heading up the preparation for the event are Mrs. Ginny Mootz, Mrs. Lynn Ahles, and Mr. John Greiner. They have spent a large amount of time selecting music for the students. The students have also contributed many hours preparing and practicing.

               

The beginning of the school year is always busy and stressful, especially for Concert Band students, due to events such as the Labor Day Parade and Homecoming, so putting together a concert is just a few weeks is always a challenge.

               

It is also a challenge for both the teachers and students due to the small numbers present in each ensemble. Many students in band and choir are required to either double up on parts or hold their own in a harmony in order to create the complete sound or the full effect. Thankfully, there are some highly dedicated individuals in the Newman Catholic music department, and they are never afraid to take on the task of learning new music.

               

Other events in the music department this year include the Winter Concert and Solo and Ensemble. Please take the time to come out and acknowledge these musicians. The music events at NCHS are often enjoyable and successful, and this year will be more of the same.

Pep Club Needs You!

By Hannah Reeves and Makayla Heisler

The school year has just started and Pep Club has already had a busy start. The members have taken care of locker recognitions for the fall season and decorated Newman Catholic with posters promoting school spirit and Homecoming, but Pep Club activities go on throughout the whole school year. 

Just around the corner is the winter dance, Peppermint.  Peppermint is one of Pep Club’s biggest events to plan. This year’s officers; Stephanie Thomson, Nicole Cornell, Gaonou Lo, and Makayla Heisler, are trying their best to make it a memorable event.

A big part of Peppermint, especially for the seniors, is Peppermint court. This year if you are a senior interested in court, there are some simple steps you need to follow. The first step is to join the Pep Club; the fee is only five dollars, and you need to fill out the membership form which you can get from Mrs. Kronburger in the school library.

To be on court, you need to have eight Pep Club hours. If you need help getting these hours, you can speak to the advisor, Mrs. Kronburger or to one of the Pep Club officers.  The tasks would most likely include poster making, locker recognition signs for the winter season, and other tasks that Pep Club needs done.  Pep club especially needs senior boys to be on Peppermint court.

For more information, or with any questions, email nchspepclub@yahoo.com.

Newman Catholic Cardinals Drop Heartbreaker on the Road

By Adam Rutz

The Newman Catholic Cardinals football team needed a win to clinch their third consecutive WIAA playoff berth Saturday, October 9^th, but came up short in a defensive battle with Athens.

Trailing 9-0 in the fourth quarter, Newman Catholic drove down the field, and after Nick Bush had two key catches to get them inside the 10-yard line, Andrew Wilke found the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown run, and Paul Messerly's extra point kick cut the deficit to two points. However, when the Cardinals didn't recover the onside kick, Athens picked up their sixth victory of the season. Newman had 284 yards on offense on the day, but it was three turnovers that really hurt their chance at victory.

"I think the defense did a great job" said Newman head coach Paul Michlig. "But we have to quit turning the ball over and execute better for next week." The Cardinals had three turnovers Saturday, which hurt them in the outcome, but they have a lot of things that are going well for them as well. Their defense has been playing outstanding football lately, holding their last three opponents to less than 15 points each game, and they still have the top offense in the Cloverwood conference.

In Thursday's match-up they took on the Augusta Beavers, who are still winless at 0-7, but the game is very big one for both teams. Newman Catholic, who need only one more win to clinch a playoff spot, beat Augusta in "Beaver Country" last season, but the Beavers were not only looking for revenge Thursday night; they were also looking to pick up their first victory of the season.

The Cardinals (4-3) displayed their high-powered offense and physical defense at Stiehm Stadium Thursday night against Augusta (0-7). Newman is still on a mission to get a first WIAA playoff victory in school history, but will need one win in the next two weeks to get into the playoffs. With only two games remaining, both at home, the odds of the team clinching a spot are looking good. However, they still aren't going to take any team lightly, as they want to win out with the rest of their schedule. Kick-off Thursday was at 7 p.m. in the Cloverwood match-up at Stiehm Stadium.

Volleyball Team Supports Women's Community

By Gaonou Lo and Bailey Dillon

On September 9th, 2010 at Newman Catholic High School, the volleyball team raised money for the Women’s Community by donating half of the admissions from the Newman Catholic vs. D.C. Everest volleyball game. The main goal of the fundraiser was to help our community be aware of the services that the Women's Community provides for the Wausau area and to work together with Everest’s volleyball team to challenge our schools and community to donate to help this worthy cause.

The fundraiser idea came from Mrs. Vanderloop after she heard that Newman Catholic was going to be playing Everest. Many volleyball teams host fundraisers in the area and she felt that Newman Catholic should too. Mrs. Vanderloop and Mrs. Baumann were the two people that made the fundraiser a success by contacting both schools, planning the event, and getting permission from both volleyball coaches.

Hannah Baumann, who is on the varsity volleyball team, also contributed a lot to getting the word out about the fundraiser. “I developed announcements, helped with the T-shirt order, and held jeans day as well as many other things,” said Hannah.

Another person who played a major role to make this fundraiser a success was Betty Lang, the Newman Catholic varsity volleyball coach. She helped out by working together with parents and players from both D.C. Everest and Newman Catholic to coordinate the details for the fundraising event. Coach Lang felt that this is a very worthy cause and it is something that our community needs to be more aware of and help with as much as possible.

“The fundraiser had a very positive effect on the volleyball team. The players from both programs were challenged to come up with ideas on how they could fundraise to help the Women's Community Shelter. They helped make their school and community aware of what the Women's Community Shelter does for the women of Wausau and the surrounding area that are in need of their services. It was an opportunity for the teams to come together and work toward a common goal of raising money and collecting items for the shelter,” said Coach Lang.

That night, Newman Catholic beat D.C. Everest, and the teams collected many items to donate to the Women’s Community and raised approximately $700.

Newman Catholic Class of 1960 Reunite and Inspire

By Marshall DeLonay

The graduating class of 1960 was a very groundbreaking and eclectic group of people who are still telling their story to the world.  It was 1956 and the students were beginning a new part of their life in a brand new school.  When the students in the class of ’60 first started their high school endeavors at Newman Catholic, the high school was not yet 100% complete, but after a few months it was finished and boy was it kicking. 

When Newman Catholic first started in 1951 they were using the St. James and St. Mary’s schools.  During this time they were known as the Pioneers.  It was not until the new school was built on Bridge Street that the Pioneers became the Cardinals.  The class of ’60 was the very first class to go all four years at the school in its current location.  Julie Brzezinski, graduate of Newman in 1960, she stated, “We were so proud to be a student of Newman Catholic High School,” as are many of our current Newman Catholic students.

During the class of ‘60’s years there were some major changes.  When they started tuition was $40.00 and by the time they were seniors the price had jumped to $120.00; there was a pay off though.  The families paid half the tuition and then the parishes covered the other half so the tuition would be easier to pay for each student attending.  Another change was uniforms for the girls.  They were not as flattering as the girls probably would have liked being dark green in color.  “After graduating in 1960 us gals from Rothschild had a bonfire and guess what?  We weren’t burning wood; it was our lovely green uniforms.  We were so glad to get rid of them,” stated Mrs. Brzezinski.  Just goes to show us that students will always disagree with some part of the dress code.

There were only three sports in the ‘60’s that students could be a part of: football, baseball, and basketball.  For the girls the only sport at the time was cheerleading, which back then was not the huge sport it has developed into today.  “If you were not a part of any of these sports there was nothing else for you,” stated Nancy Stoltz, another 1960 graduate.  There were some very good athletes at Newman Catholic, which caused Newman Catholic to become one of the best in the Central Wisconsin Catholic Conference.  At that time there were 34 Catholic high schools in the state to compete with, including Assumption, Columbus, and Pacelli.  Some rivals never go away.

The class of 1960’s reunion started on Friday, Sept. 17, 2010 with a tour of the Newman Catholic building on Friday afternoon by the Principal Mr. Larry Theiss and Mrs. Meverden, Newman Alumni Director.  Approximately 40 alumni attended and once the tour was over they made their way to the Great Dane, where snacks, talk, and an open bar took them through the night.  On Saturday they had a formal event at The Plaza Hotel and Suites with a banquet, program and DVD presentation, followed by music and dancing.  There were 71 alumni who brought along spouses and guests for a total of 117 people.  The theme was “A Weekend to Remember,” and it seems their goal was accomplished.

The 50^th reunion for the class of 1960 was a grand one that will not be forgotten.  There were 550 students and 162 of them graduated in ’60, making them the largest graduating class at Newman.  To this date there are 23 members of the class who are deceased and we ask that you remember those lives which have touched and inspired many others. 

When asked about the success of the class Mrs. Brzezinski stated, “Yes, we have many from our class who became very successful.  We must remember it was Newman Catholic who provided us with the education we needed and the ability to become the people we are today.”  This is a great statement all of us at Newman Catholic should remember in our upcoming years. 

Special thanks go to Julie Brzezinski and Nancy Stoltz for the information.  Keep on living and remembering class of 1960; you will never be forgotten.

Students Rate Homecoming an Overall Success

By Mike Pueschner and Logan Gajewski

The 2010 homecoming week at Newman Catholic High School will be recognized as a memorable experience.  The results of homecoming have been recorded through a school survey, showing what was enjoyable and what wasn’t enjoyable for the students.  The survey consisted of all the students, grades freshman through seniors that were in attendance the day the surveys were handed out.  We asked specific questions of the students and they replied with what they liked best.

The first question was, “What was your favorite dress-up day?”  The students had the choices of board games day, cowboy/cowgirl day, Mass day and tropical day.  The cowboy and tropical days tied with 68 votes each. 

Next we asked, “Did you enjoy the scavenger hunt?”  The student population had 123 votes for yes and 38 votes for no. 

We also asked, “Whose hall decorations were the best?”  The seniors came in with the most votes with 109, 68% of the votes from the school.  The juniors came in second with 24 votes and the freshman and sophomores tied with 15 votes each.

Our next question was, “What was your favorite part of homecoming?”  The student’s options were dress-up days, the scavenger hunt, hall decorating, sporting events, or other events.  Sporting events came away with 83 votes and the scavenger hunt had 42 total votes.

We also asked, “Did you enjoy homecoming week?”  The students had 120 votes for yes, 5 votes for maybe, and 35 votes for no. 

When asked, “What would you change about homecoming?”   Many students wanted to see field games again, and felt that homecoming was boring without them.  Students also wanted to see the music routines during the pep rally this year, as they felt that the pep rally was not as exciting this year.  There were many other things students mentioned; however there was no consensus on any other topic.

Lunch Meetings Increase Productivity

By Brianna Bratland and Tawni Reusch

Mr. Theiss, principle of Newman Catholic High School, explained his reasoning for holding club meetings during the lunch hour. 

With all the changes around the school, many wondered why the time club meetings had to be changed.  Mr. Theiss explained the history of the lunch set up and his ideas for the productiveness it will bring to the school. 

When Mr. Theiss started working at Newman Catholic about six years ago, he saw that one lunch was just too much for the school to handle.  With over 200 kids, everyone had to wait in one line to get their lunch. They only had about 30 minutes to get through the line, eat their lunch, and talk to their friends before the next class began.  Students were stressed and frustrated that the lunch line was too long.  Students stuck in the back of the line were only given about five minutes to eat lunch. Seeing this problem, Mr. Theiss and the faculty worked on a solution to put less stress on the students during their lunch time. 

Over the following years, Mr. Theiss split the lunches into two separate groups cutting the number of people in half so people could get through the line faster.  This was a big improvement, but one problem was still in effect.  Students felt like they were being separated from their friends and disliked not being able to eat with them.  Seeing this problem, Mr. Theiss and his lunch crew went to a different school to see how they set up their lunch program and found that their system was effective.  At the end of the 2009-2010 school year Mr. Theiss and lunch faculty worked to create a two way lunch line so they could get twice as many the people through at the same time. 

This year, one big lunch was put back into place because of the smaller number of students we have enrolled, and the two way lunch line has been effective.  One new change to the lunch is the club meetings being held during lunch so that students will have the time to go to them and have a productive class meeting.  When the meetings were held after school, the club authorities felt that students were not being productive in the meetings and the numbers of participants dropped because students just wanted to go home or get ready for their after school activities.

In order for productive club meetings and less stress for students, the meetings are held during lunch.  Mr. Theiss only wants what is best for his students, but not all students agree with this idea.  Mr. Theiss is open to any suggestions on how to make his students happier and more productive

Newman Catholic Football Prevails at Thorp

By Adam Rutz

The Newman Catholic football team has had two very close match-ups with Thorp in the past couple of years, but unfortunately lost the last two meetings. However, last Friday night they were determined to change this year's outcome in a tough road game at Thorp. Newman Catholic kept things close all game, and after trailing 12-10 with less than three minutes left, finally got the win, in a 16-12 victory.

Newman Catholic had the top offense in the conference coming into the game, but was facing a very physical, tough Thorp defense who only allowed 520 rushing yards all season coming into the game. Newman Catholic knew if they wanted to make the playoffs, a win was crucial and they had to execute Friday night.

The offense started their first drive with a half-back pass from Luke Prososki to Ryan Strasser, giving the Newman Catholic squad some momentum. The offense then got the ball into field goal range where Paul Messerly kicked a 33 yard field goal, giving Newman Catholic a 3-0 lead mid-way through the first. Newman Catholic's defense, who had one of their best performances of the year, didn't let Thorp score in the first quarter, giving them a three point lead at the end of the first.

However, Thorp's offense did get on the scoreboard 55 seconds into the second quarter, putting Thorp up 6-3. when the defense later kept Thorp inside the Newman 5 yard line, senior Patrick Hanley recovered a fumble at the 2, which led to a Brad Knoblock touchdown run. Thorp responded by scoring once more, giving them a 12-10 lead at the end of the first half.

The score remained the same at the end of the third quarter, and all the way into the final two minutes of the fourth. However, it was Knoblock again who punched in the final Newman touchdown, putting Newman up 16-12. When Thorp tried to answer one final time, Josh Pagel ended Thorp's hope for a victory with an interception down field. "The defense did outstanding tonight," said Coach Paul Michlig. "To hold a team like Thorp to 12 points is a great job by the kids. They earned this one."

Newman Catholic took on Athens Saturday, October 8th, where they could have clinched their third straight WIAA playoff berth with a win, but narrowly lost a 9-7 heartbreaker.

Newman Catholic Student Becomes a Pirate at the Grand

By Paige Gelling

The stage at the Grand Theatre was alive and well as members of Central Wisconsin filled the room with songs and dances from Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. Pirates is a comedic operetta set in Great Britain in the 1800’s. This show was put on by the Wausau Community Theatre with performances September 16 through 19. This was the first show of WCT’s 76^th Anniversary Season.

               

Newman Catholic’s very own Erin Gassner graced the stage with her presence. She thoroughly enjoyed it, as we saw from her impeccable singing and acting. Here is what she had to say about it:

 “Pirates of Penzance was a wonderful experience for me. Not only did I get to sing Gilbert and Sullivan classics like “With Cat-Like Tread” and “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General,” but I also got to work with a phenomenal cast. Because I’ve worked with most of the cast in other productions, I got to see old friends, but I also had the opportunity to make new ones. Everyone was extremely talented and I was blessed to work with them. I found playing a “cabin boy” surprisingly enjoyable. It was interesting, to say the least, dressing and singing like a pirate! I really enjoyed being in this show, and I would like to thank my friends and family for always supporting me.”

As we’ve learned from Erin, being a part of musical theater, especially shows like Pirates, is extremely fun. Wausau Community Theatre kicked off their season with Pirates, and we are sure to see more fantastic shows from them in the near future. Bravo, Erin!