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