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!

Conservation Club Goes Camping

by Erin Gassner

Though a native Wisconsinite, I am ashamed to admit that before this weekend, I had never been camping. The idea of spending time in the woods is always appealing, but sleeping on the cold, hard ground? No, thank you. However, this weekend, I decided to join my fellow members of the Conservation Club in a trip to our very own Rudolph Environmental Center (more commonly known as the REC).

Our primary goal was to pull buckthorn from various areas throughout the REC. Buckthorn is an invasive species native to Europe. The problem with buckthorn is that once it is one area, it will take root and compete with native plants for sunlight and soil. Buckthorn literally looks just like a small twig coming out of the ground with a few leaves sticking out the top. One plant looks harmless, but unfortunately it grows in large groups and can take over large areas at a time – they can even grow as large as a regular tree.

Saturday afternoon, we were able to clear from the REC many large buckthorn plants, as well as small seedlings. That night, we gleefully used dried-out buckthorn twigs to start a campfire, as well as to roast marshmallows – it seemed a fitting way to dispose of the troublesome plants.

Advice for New Freshmen

By Morgan Lukes

Many of the new freshmen this year are excited to finally be in high school.  They are excited to be at the top of the food chain, but they aren’t quite there yet.  They still have three more years to go before they are seniors.



Senior Carolina Larrain takes some Freshmen under her
wing during homecoming week



A few of the freshmen are nervous because they have new teachers, new classes, and a new way of school to get used to, compared to middle school.  Alex Heisler is one of the freshmen students who is nervous yet ambitious about high school this year.

High school is a lot different than middle school in so many ways.  There is no recess, little free time to run around, and lots of work to get done.

Many freshmen are actually enjoying their freshmen year so far, and are looking forward to the rest of their high school year.  Remind everyone, including the freshmen that the high school years of life are the best ones and the most memorable ones.

Remember these years and do what you can to make the high school years fun.  Freshmen may be nervous or excited or ambitious now, but we recommend they always be open to new things and ideas while in high school; they will get so many opportunities to do all kinds of fun things like dances, clubs, rallies, and so many other things.  While they are in high school now, they should take chances and opportunities to enjoy these years to the fullest.

'Money 4 Music' Benefits Music Department

By Erin Gassner

WDEZ 101.9 radio station is once again supporting local high school music programs this year through their second annual ‘Money 4 Music’ program.

Due to hundreds of dollars being cut from arts programs throughout the state, the station decided to try to keep music programs alive in Central Wisconsin by handing out $13,000 in cash to deserving high school music programs.

Here is how ‘Money 4 Music’ works: for 8 weeks, all participating high schools will be listed on the WDEZ website. Anyone can go online and vote for their favorite school once per day. The schools can earn bonus points by submitting videos and listening for the bonus song every day, when votes count for 100 points.

Newman Catholic students have already been hard at work texting friends and relatives about the contest and posting links to the WDEZ website and to Facebook and Twitter. They have also brainstormed lots of ideas for making videos to upload for bonus points, which include everything from dressing up as nuns to recording pep band tunes.

All Newman Catholic students, staff, alumni, and friends can go to http://www.wdez.com/ to vote for Newman Catholic’s music program!

Boys Soccer Rolls Through Conference

By Thayeng Lee

The Newman Catholic boys soccer team played the Pacelli Cardinals on Monday, September 26 and emerged victorious with a 2-0 win. This victory means they remain undefeated in conference. On Tuesday, September 27 the soccer team played against Gresham and won 4-0. With this victory, Newman leaves the number two team in the conference two games behind. Thursday, September 29 the boy’s soccer team played against Wisconsin Valley Lutheran at Tower Field at 5 p.m. and won 8-1.

           

Will Luetmer is one of the boy’s soccer captains and he says that the soccer team is doing well, and a lot of the younger classmen are stepping up to fill in for the seniors that they lost. Luetmer also said that Pacelli is probably the hardest team to beat in their conference because they are very physical and they have a good coach. Also, he believes that the boys soccer team has a good chance of going to state this year, but there are some things that the soccer team needs to improve on such as communication and finishing.

           

Their next game is on Monday, October 3 at Northland Lutheran at 4:30 p.m. On Thursday of next week they will have a tough match against McDonnell-Regis. If they win against those two teams, they will finish undefeated in conference for the third year in a row. The Newman Catholic boys soccer team will be expecting the number one seed, which means they will play their regional playoff games at home.         

Girls Volleyball and Tennis Seasons

By Maria Legenza

The Newman Catholic High School Varsity volleyball team of 2011 has been building a new foundation for the team due to the loss of four talented seniors from 2010. With such a great loss from those talented players, the team has continued to strive for success with the help and motivation of head coach Betty Lange. Coach Betty pushes the players beyond their capabilities and expects nothing less than perfection.

Currently Newman has 9 wins and 12 losses. On Thursday, September 22^nd, in Tomahawk, the team played a benefit game for breast cancer awareness, also known as “The Dig for a Cure.” Unfortunately, Newman lost all three games, but they tried their best to compete in this non-conference match. 

The name “Fighting Cardinals,” is definitely represented by the Newman Catholic Varsity Volleyball Team of 2011, as they continue to fight to win.

The Newman Catholic High School Varsity tennis team of 2011 has been doing excellently in their first 26 matches. They have only lost one match so far this season.

Sarah Connolly and Carolina Larrain, the varsity doubles team, have been blowing out every match they played. Daley Rupar, a singles player, has also been sweeping away the competition. The team is currently ranked third in the state.

Their strong academics, hard work in practice, and successful match play are what head coach Deb Rupar expects. This team certainly shows all of those qualities.

The varsity tennis team of 2011 has been showing immense effort in every match they play and win. 

Here Comes Homecoming

by Erin Gassner

Its September, and everyone is heading back to school. That means seeing all of our teachers every day, buying new school supplies, and playing and watching fall sports. What does September also mean? Homecoming week is right around the corner.

This year, homecoming will take place during the week of September 19th - 24th. There will be tons of fun activities throughout the week for the Newman students, such as dress up days, field day, and our traditional Friday night pep rally. However, the big day to look forward to is Saturday, September 24th, the last day of Homecoming Week.

On Saturday morning, the Pep Club will be organizing car decorating at the Newman Catholic High School/Middle School parking lot. There will be car paint, balloons, and streamers available for decorating cars.

Everyone is invited to come - parents, students, teachers, even alumni! The cars will then be escorted to Thom Field by police cars in a special motorcade.

At Thom Field, there will be a tailgate, where everyone who comes to the motorcade as well as the football game is invited to come and eat.

At 1:00, the Newman Catholic High School Football team will play against Thorp High School. The pep band will perform their annual halftime field show. This is a great opportunity to come out and support the football team!

On Saturday night, all current Newman Catholic High School students are invited to return to the school for the annual Homecoming Dance.

The music will be spun by none other than Newman alum Marshall DeLonay. The Homecoming Dance is informal, but it will still be lots of fun.  The dress code will be enforced at the dance

Have a great Homecoming Week, and GO CARDS!

Homecoming Dress Days and Hall Decorating

During homecoming week each class is assigned a class color, specific hallway to decorate, and they will participate in each dress-up day.  

Monday, September 19^th

Each class is to dress in their Environmental / Climate theme. The Freshmen have the Arctic, Sophomores have the beach, Juniors have the North Woods, The Seniors have the jungle. 

Jeans are allowed, but no rips, tears, or frays still applies. You can dress as animals that are appropriate to your theme.  No swimwear is allowed; no midriff is to be shown. Be creative and remember dress respectfully; the dress code still applies to each dress up day.

Tuesday, September 20^th

Each class is to dress as there favorite movie character. Jeans are allowed, but rips, tears, or frays still applies. Make sure all outfits or costumes are appropriate for school, dress code still applies and must be followed.

Wednesday, September 21^st

This day is a mass day that is to dress beyond expectations! Boys can wear suits but they are not required. All shirts must be tucked in, ties are to be worn, and nice dress shoes. No tennis shoes are allowed. Girls are to wear dresses and skirts, and must be 3 inches above the knee. And tops are to be high towards the neckline to show respect for yourself, school, and fellow classmates. Today is a day of the Lord; let us dress with respect and dignity.

Thursday, September 22^nd

Each class is to dress in their class color as much as possible. The freshmen have yellow, sophomores have green, juniors have orange, and seniors have black.

Jeans are allowed, but no rips, tears or frays. Be creative, have fun, and dress respectfully. Everyone should be participating; the class with highest percentage of people participating will receive points for homecoming.  

Friday, September 23^rd

There is a regional meeting for the teachers, so there is no school.

As for all the dress-up days it is very important for all students to be participating because the classes with most participation in each day will receive points toward their class for homecoming. These points will only help the class in becoming the winners of homecoming.

Hall Decorations

Hall decorating will begin right away Tuesday morning, September 20^th. The classes will work until about 10:45 because at that time we will watch and enjoy the Wust-el Balad band perform in the gym. After the performance all classes are to resume hall decorating. The grade levels are allowed to use masking tape only, no duct tape; also the only electric items they can use are Christmas lights. You cannot use any fog machines or anything electric on the ground that could potentially start a fire. Any class that chooses to not follow these rules will be automatically disqualified!

You are allowed to have streamers or anything hanging from the walls, but there is to be nothing hanging from the ceiling. 

Also, during this day there will be designated time for each class to practice their class cheer that will be performed that Friday. The entire class is to be involved in this cheer/dance routine.

Homecoming Spirit Games

By Thayeng Lee

This year for Newman Catholic Homecoming, we are bringing back field games and other games as well. On Monday, September 12, classes will play a game from the game show Minute to Win It. For this game each class will challenge another class to a one minute game from the game show. These Minute to Win It games are scored by points for each class.  See your class advisor for more information about these challenges

On Thursday we will have a field day. A committee is still deciding on exactly which games to play for field day, but they might include games such as tug of war, basketball, ping pong, obstacle course, volleyball, and others. There will be a sign-up sheet to see who will play which games on field day.

Also before the pep rally on Friday, there will be a Powder Puff football game between the senior and junior girls. The game will be a 7-on-7 flag football game, and the field will be approximately 60 yards long. A committee is still to decide who will represent their classes for the Powder Puff game.

Homecoming Pep Rally

By Morgan Lukes

Homecoming is fast approaching for all of us, but some of us are still wondering what is going to happen for the week of homecoming. Well, to kick off the fun on Friday for everyone, there will be a powder puff football game around 5pm.  This game will take place behind the school, and it will be between the senior and junior girls only.  Then the pep rally will follow afterwards in the school gym for all students and faculty to enjoy.

Here’s a little insight about the pep rally.  The pep rally will be Friday night after the powder puff game.  Yes, we don’t have school Friday because of a teacher inservice, but we still will be having the pep rally happening Friday night.  The pep rally will consist of games put together by the senior class, Homecoming King and Queen, sport introductions, and class cheers/dance routines.  Many people in the past years that have gone to pep rallies said they were loads of fun, and they always manage to have a good time.  The seniors always manage to come up with the coolest ideas for games.  The pep rally is also loads of fun, especially when the seniors find a few good people to be in charge that aren’t afraid to be funny or make a fool of themselves. 

Another event at the homecoming pep rally is the class cheers.  This year every class gets to put together a cheer of their own, relating in some way to their class theme.  The seniors have determined that the cheers should be no longer than 3 or 4 minutes, just so we have plenty of time for everything else happening at our pep rally.  The class cheers and songs should be school appropriate.  All classes will get a chance to practice their cheers Tuesday during school, sometime during hall decorating.  If you would like to know anything else about homecoming you can read the article dress days and hall decorating by Maria Legenza.

NCHS Football Already Gearing Up for 2011

By Adam Rutz

Newman Catholic football made school history last fall when they advanced to Level 3 in the playoffs before losing to Randolph. Though they will lose 13 players from last year’s squad, their high-powered offense will be back, as Senior Brad Knoblock plans on leading the Cardinals to more success. “We have a lot of guys who have been working hard in the weight room since the day after we lost to Randolph last year and I think we can do big things,” said Knoblock, who had 1100+ rushing yards last season and 13 touchdowns as a running back.  He will be moving to quarterback for his final season as a Newman Catholic Cardinal.

​A lot of playing similarities are drawn between Knoblock and former Cardinal Anthony Fisher (class of 2009). Fisher, who won the Brockmeyer Award in 2008 (top football player in Wausau), switched positions to quarterback his senior year and also led the Cardinals to their first ever playoff appearance that year. Knoblock has all the tools to be a very successful quarterback next season because with his strong arm and speed on the ground, he will be a force to be reckoned with when the Marawood Conference season rolls around.

Knoblock, the 5'10, 180 pound senior, may not be the ideal size for a quarterback, but he definitely makes up for it in athletic ability. The four sport athlete has been a standout since his arrival at Newman Catholic in 2008.

Knoblock isn't the only offensive weapon the Cardinals plan on using. They will also have seniors John Runnoe and Issak Tauer who will both be key runners in the backfield, along with underclassmen talent in receivers with juniors Nick Janke and Matt Heeg, and sophomore star power in Marcus Gabriel.

With a Paul Michlig led coaching staff, there is no reason the Cardinals shouldn't live up to the hype as they have become a city-wide powerhouse in the past three years. All of the fans of NCHS football can agree that Michlig has been the key to all the success as he led them to the playoffs in his previous three seasons. Michlig is known for his spread offense and utilizes it perfectly; the results are obvious considering all the success it has brought. Stay tuned to the NCHS Red Hat for more news on the Cardinals next fall!

Class of 2012 Pumped Up for Senior Year

By Erin Gassner

It is springtime, and you know what that means! Its graduation time! With all the hubbub over caps and gowns, graduation parties, and finals, the seniors are overjoyed about being done with high school, and they have no problem with expressing their joy. In fact, some underclassmen have been complaining because of the seniors expressing their jubilation so strongly.

The senior class has almost 60 students. The class includes presidential candidate favorite Nick Cornell, musical maestros Marshall Delonay and Maggie Ward, artistically amazing Makayla Heisler,and many other intelligent and talented students.

Will the incoming seniors, the class of 2012, be able to fill their shoes? Most definitely! The current junior class is a close-knit one, a mix of future teachers, doctors, dentists, and other fantastic careers. Every junior is very intelligent and talented and excited about becoming seniors.

When asked about how she felt about being the “top dog”, Maria Legenza said, “I’m so excited! I can’t wait to get ready for the next chapter of my life. I think it will be a positive experience because we are all such great friends!”

Morgan Lukes said, “I’m looking forward to next year and I’m excited for it because we are going to be seniors, the big shots, the upperclassmen. It’s going to be a lot of fun because now all the underclassmen, including new incoming freshmen, are going to be looking up to us. We are going to be the ones that will have to set the example for everyone else. It should most definitely be a year to look forward to.”

Daley Rupar can relate. “I’m ready to be the macho one on campus!”

Julie Klehr simply stated, “It’s about time.”

Cardinals Class of 2011 Athletes Leave Many Memories At NCHS

By Adam Rutz

It started in the fall, when the Newman Catholic football team did something that no other team in school history had done: win a playoff game. They didn't just win one though; they beat Suring and Rio to move to level three in the postseason before being defeated by Randolph. To many, the football team was the highlight of the fall season, however fall was also highlighted by the boys soccer team making it to the state tournament.

Winter came, and the girls basketball team was the defending Division 4 state champions. UWGB recruit Taylor Thomas led them to back to the Kohl Center once again as she capped off her Newman Catholic hoops career with another gold ball to go in the school trophy case. Another highlight to the winter sports season was the Mosinee hockey team, including two Newman Catholic players, making it to the sectional final game before losing to eventual state champion Wausau West Warriors 9-2. Though Nick Bush was the only active Newman student on the roster, he also finished a remarkable four year varsity career including a state appearance as a freshman.

Now, sadly, the NCHS athletics group is losing a big class of very hard-working, talented athletes, but luckily it is not over yet. NCHS has superb boys and girls track and field, baseball, and softball teams who all have great opportunities to do big things this postseason. Track and field won regionals this past Monday in Marathon, and they now move on to Rosholt where they begin Sectional events Thursday. Baseball and softball are entering the playoffs in their respective divisions and with both teams loaded with talent, they should be able to go far.

Make sure you make it out to watch the seniors compete in some of their final days as Newman Cardinals.

Cardinal Capturers Strike Newman Catholic!

The Cardinal stands watch during a pep rally

By Hannah Reeves

A tragedy has befallen the Newman Catholic High School teachers, staff, and students.  Our beloved Cardinal has been kidnapped and taken hostage.  This sounds like the work of a senior prank. 

A few seniors have decided to finish their year off by capturing the Newman Catholic Cardinal.  The Cardinal was brought to recognizable spots around Wausau and pictures were taken of where our Cardinal traveled.  With those pictures, hostage notes have been printed and placed around the Newman Catholic High School hallways, indicating the places of where the Cardinal might be.  Along with a different picture on each sheet of paper, five demands have been issued to the Newman teachers, staff, and students:

1)      Fill the empty cases we receive at graduation with our diplomas - and in doing so, fill our likewise empty heart with never ending happiness.

2)      Unlock the safe, and remove “the precious contents” then transfer all funds into our offshore Swiss bank account.  The account number is 3687685764636432453269696954365953745252.

3)      Divulge the true identity of the man under the alias of “Dr. Michael Matthew Switalski.”

4)      In order to ensure the blessings and happiness for our posterity, we demand that all future students will be granted full access to the rooftop pool.

5)     In order to satisfy the previous demand, it will be necessary for you to install a pool on the roof.

If the seniors do not receive these demands by 7:00 pm on Friday, May 27, our beloved Cardinal will find itself acquainted with Mr. John Deere WC12 wood Chipper.  It is now up to our Newman Catholic family to get this Cardinal back to its respected spot in front of Newman Catholic High School’s front office.

** Do not worry all you Newman Catholic Cardinal fans; Mr. Theiss has approved this senior prank operation and the Cardinal will be returned unharmed.

Seniors' Parting Words

By Makayla Heisler

Throughout high school we make friends that leave imprints on us for a life time. These people are our classmates and peers, and they help shape us into who we are today. This year, like every year before that, the senior class will graduate and move on past high school. Almost all of them will leave behind friends they have made throughout their high school career.

Seniors, having been at school the longest, can give other students very valuable advice on how to enjoy, or just make it through high school. This year’s senior class has a variety of students, all of whom have different personalities and have had different experiences while in high school.  Many of the seniors will miss the underclassmen they have become close to over the past few years. Seniors in the graduating class offer underclassmen and future students excellent advice from their experiences:

“Focus on your classes and build up your resumes for college and scholarship applications, because the only thing high school grades matter for in the grand scheme of life is getting you into college and getting you money to pay for college.”  - Nicole Cornell

“People tell you high school goes fast, and I personally never believed them. But seriously, I blinked and I was a senior. High school is hard, but it can also be a lot of fun. Cherish the good stuff, and the rest of it will all work itself out.” – Maggie Ward

“Follow your heart and enjoy every minute because it goes by fast!” – Andrew Wilke

“Procrastinating is a terrible thing and should be avoided at all costs.” – Brooklyn Kemp

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself.” – Hannah Baumann

“Live like you were dying and just have courage and confidence because life is too short to let any situation pass by.” – Marshall De Lonay

“Don’t ever be scared of standing up for what you believe in. In 10 years, you aren't going to remember the people you were afraid would make fun of you, but you will remember what you fought for.” – Maggie Ward

Publications Staff Says Goodbye

By Hannah Reeves

The publications staff has worked hard this year, from producing an amazing yearbook to writing articles so parents and friends have current updates about what is going on around Newman Catholic High School. The staff has really come together and gone from simple classmates to a team.

The majority of students that make up the publications staff are seniors. During first semester the whole staff was composed of seniors, and in second semester two juniors joined the staff. After a year of hard work, the seniors had their final day of class on Monday, May 24.

The year has been full of ups and downs from almost not finishing the first deadline of the yearbook to having a successful year with a completely digital Red Hat. Of course having to work hard first hour can be a difficulty, but the class managed to pull it off.

The seniors, having worked on the majority of the yearbook, and most of them being in the class for a whole year, are now passing the torch to the Newman Catholic underclassmen. Senior Makayla Heisler states, “I have been in publications for two years, and I can honestly say that this year was the hardest working staff I have experienced. They have all worked well together, and have offered their creativity and I can see that in their articles and in every page in this year’s yearbook.”

We would like to say thank you to all the senior publication staff members,, and good luck in the future.

Newman Catholic Baseball Preps for Postseason

The Newman Catholic baseball team was a force in the Marawood South conference last season, and things this year have been even better. Entering last Monday, the squad was 10-2 overall and ranked 10th in the state of Wisconsin in Division 4. However, the Cardinals couldn't manage to get past Assumption; they lost in extra innings 4-3.

Following the Card's loss, they were able to funnel all the negativety they experienced the previous 48 hours.  After the loss, they were seeded #2 in regionals, even though they had a better record than the team higher than them.  On Tuesday, they were able to go out and beat Pittsville 7-3 on Senior Night.  Newman Catholic ace Luke Prososki pitched a complete game gem as the Cardinals were able to get a key victory against a Pittsville team who was ranked in the top ten in Division 3. Prososki's performance triggered the other pitchers to continue the success later in the week.

MATC Milwaukee recruit Adam Rutz followed up the Pittsville victory by throwing a complete game, one-run outing on the road at Auburndale. Rutz struck out 12, only allowing four hits and two walks, and was aided by a home run from junior Brad Knoblock. Seniors Justin Heeg and Nick Bush also combined for four hits and six RBIs.

Friday rolled around, and Newman Catholic traveled to Assumption for at redemption against the team that beat them on Monday. Sophomore Nick Janke couldn't have given a bigger clutch performance on the mound as he threw a complete game, while Newman Catholic won 11-1 in 6 innings, because of the ten run rule. Janke only threw 40 pitches through four innings and was able to keep his pitch count under 80 by the end of the game, as he used his defense to retire batters.

The Cardinals take on Rib Lake tonight in the Marawood North-South Crossover game at 4:45 at Wausau's Athletic Park. This is the team’s final game before entering playoffs next Tuesday. Admission is free tonight and they hope all can make it to cheer them on and send them off for the playoffs next week as they hope to make a big run this postseason.

Senior Athletic Awards

By Marshall De Lonay

Newman Catholic High School had one of the last awards ceremonies for seniors on Wednesday, May 22.  The ceremony was in honor of all the seniors who took part in athletics during their high school career.  The night was filled with great joys, but also sadness as all the athletes came to the realization that they were done with their seasons.

The night started off with a speaker who is no stranger to the athletes of Newman Catholic: Dale Ryman.  Ryman is the sports director at WSAW News Channel 7 and he has been in touch with many of the athletes at Newman Catholic.  From interviews to covering the state tournament appearances, he touched on just about every aspect of the athletic department through the years.  His most memorable quote of the presentation was, “You may think the shadow of doubt is covering you, but it’s just an angel whose wings are blocking the sun.”

Once he was done speaking, the awards presentation began.  Many of the seniors were recognized for their hard work and dedication to athletics.  Different awards were given out for various achievements, but the awards were not what made the night great.  Rather it was the comradery of the athletes sharing in the joy of their accomplishments. 

The night ended with a slideshow of the seniors in various aspects of their time at Newman Catholic.  Mrs. Mabry put the slideshow together and it was a labor of love for her as she was gathering pictures for four years of all the current senior class.

While the seniors now move on to different parts of the country and move into different parts of their lives, they will not be forgotten.  We wish them all the happiness and joy in the world, and if they decide to continue with sports we pray they stay safe and successful.

Congratulations to the athletes of the class of 2011.

Graduation Week: Moving On

By Jonathon Kraft

As the year winds down, so do the seniors. The 2011 graduates have a lot to look forward to in the coming week. Monday is their last day of school, and they were presented with a spirit day to celebrate their departure. The seniors’ finals fall on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 23 and 24.  As students prepare for this final test of their knowledge, senior Terese Dlobik says “studying for finals is tough, but the end product will pay off.”

           

Dlobik, along with her classmates, will embark on the first step to graduation with the Baccalaureate mass. The mass will honor the graduating seniors. Many seniors are looking forward to this, which marks the end of finals and the beginning of their graduation activities.

           

Many seniors are also looking forward to the graduation ceremony. Senior Bailey Dillon can't wait to get home and get that graduation gown hung in the closet at the end. The feeling may be mutual throughout the class, but they all look forward to ending a chapter in their lives and beginning a new process of higher learning.

           

Even though they will all be leaving the Newman Catholic School doors for the final time, the thoughts and memories of teachers and friends will stay with them throughout the years.

The Final Farewell

By Marshall De Lonay

The Baccalaureate Mass is known as the farewell address to the graduating class.  This year’s graduating class at Newman Catholic High School will be participating in this grand tradition as usual.

The Mass is a celebration that honors the graduating seniors; it is also a ceremony of worship and thanksgiving for those who have made it past a major milestone in their lives.  The graduating seniors at Newman Catholic are more than ready to be leaving and moving into the future, but this is their last hoorah. 

The Mass will be held at St. Michael’s Parish on Wednesday, May 25, 2011.  The service will begin at 7:00 pm and all the families of the seniors will be in attendance.  It will be a night of joy, but also sadness as the parents are letting go of their children and the seniors are moving forward into a new phase of their lives. 

The music will be uplifting and the performers are more than ready to make this a memorable experience.  There will be solos performed by a variety of seniors and also some underclassmen. 

The night will be a joyous one as the seniors move on to another stage of their lives. They will not be forgotten for they have given all of us a brief look into what our Tfuture will be.

Goodbye Seniors and Good Luck!

Beatification of Pope John Paul II

Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in Wadowice, Poland on May 18, 1920; 58 years later he became Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II was a very holy person who served as Pope for 26 years. Through this time as Pope, he had threats to his life, and he helped change the church to what it is today, but most importantly he gave the world faith.

Having grown up during some of the world’s most horrible conflicts, he saw true suffering. As Pope, he was a symbol, not only for faith, but for love. He forgave the people who tried to kill him, just like Jesus forgave those who did kill him. In his ministry he not only forgave but asked for forgiveness for the darker times of the Catholic Church; by doing this, he hoped to unite the people of the world and make it a better place.

His death devastated the world in April 2006. Because of his influence on the world, people quickly started associating the word saint with his name. On May 1, 2011 Pope Benedict XVI beatified the late Pope John Paul II in front of 1.5 million people in one of the largest Vatican Masses in history.

When asked about her feelings about the event, religion teacher Mrs. Orozco said, “I think Pope John Paul II being beatified is amazing. He was a great pope who inspired many. I hope in my lifetime I get to see him become a saint. I have no doubts that when he does, he will be one of the greatest saints in the Church.”

Other students have opinions about this subject too.  Senior Marshall DeLoney said that this event was “Awesome!”  Junior Erin Gassner said, “Even though I was in fifth grade when he died, I know from reading about him that he was a great pope, and will be one of the greatest saints of the twenty-first century.”

Seniors Plan Graduation Bash

By Brianna Bratland

The senior class of 2011 is ready to party after graduation, and they put on a fundraiser to help with the finances.  The party will be held at the Weston YMCA on May 27 from 10pm until 2am, with the pool, gym, music, and other activities available to the seniors.  Some of the parents of the senior class are the masterminds behind the party, gathering activities and prizes to make it a night to remember. 

           

A car wash was held on May 7, 2011 at Olson’s Tires to help raise money for the graduation party.  Senior class president Mac Boehm talked about his experience and the success of the event.  “The car wash exceeded my expectations. We raised $1,250.  It was wet and cold, but worth it to make the difference.”  Senior Hannah Reeves also explained her experience at the fundraiser; “The car wash was fun.  It was very cold, but successful.”

           

This party will be the seniors’ last time to spend time together as a class.  Senior Stephanie Thomson talked about her thoughts on the party’s significance.  “It’s sad to think this is the last time we will be together as a class, but we all have to move on to bigger and better things.  This party is a chance for all of us seniors to come together and celebrate our great accomplishments.

New Technology in Classrooms

By Ben Varline and Jonathon Kraft

Since the nearly beginning of the year, we have all been using the new laptops, otherwise known as “COWs” (computers on wheels) in various classes. As you have probably noticed, various classrooms of Newman Catholic High School have also recently had some new additions to them. These additions include SMART boards and projectors. Over Spring break the new additions were installed in multiple classrooms, including Mr. Fry’s, Mr. Fech’s, Mr. Tourdot’s and Mr. Switalski’s. At the beginning of this year Mr. Barbella and Mr. Ebert were the only teachers who had these capabilities, but now many rooms have SMART boards and ceiling mounted projectors.

           

“The SMART board has proven to be useful in my classroom,” said Mr. Switalski.  He also explained, “The students enjoy having it in the room.”  Mr. Fry stated, “The projecter is helpful for giving the students study guides and questions to keep their focus in the classroom. It makes it easier to put various information in front of the students.”

The Teachers at Newman Catholic High School have exceptional teaching capabilities. With the addition of the new learning tools, the doors are opening to new possibilities in learning.

Elections, Elections, Read All About It!

By Hannah Reeves

 

The 2010-2011 school year is coming to a close, indicating that it is time to select the 2011-2012 class officers.  A president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer for each class are needed to ensure that the upcoming year will be successful and enjoyable.  Each student has the opportunity to run as a candidate for office.  When all candidates have been received, students running give a speech to let their fellow classmates know why they would be a good officer.  After speeches are given and students have time to ponder their future officers, they receive a ballet and vote on their favorite candidate. 

 

As the outgoing 8^th graders take their place as the Newman Catholic’s freshman class, it is vital for students to select their officers wisely.  Being new high school students, having good officers helps to ensure that the new environment and new school year will be a successful and pleasurable experience.  

The incoming freshman class is not the only one that needs to make sure its officers are up to par.  The upcoming seniors have critical decisions to make when deciding who they want to represent them as the class of 2012.  Senior year is their last year at Newman Catholic and it is only right for them to go out with a bang.  With good class officers, they will be able to achieve that bang and end their year successfully.

 

These students have been voted into office for the 2011-2012 year:

 

Freshmen - Class of 2015

Jose Larrain – President

Justin Damask – Vice President

Mackenzie Winter – Secretary

Nick Thoreson – Treasurer

 

Sophomores - Class of 2014

Anna McCarty – President

Grace Larrain – Vice President

Abby Connolly – Secretary

Erin Menzner – Treasurer

 

Juniors - Class of 2013

Christina Grunow – President

Brogan Resch – Vice President

Ben Vesel – Secretary

Aaron Roland – Treasurer

 

Seniors - Class of 2012

Matthew Hart – President

Erin Gassner – Vice President

Carolina Larrain – Secretary

Brianna Jehn - Treasurer

Student Council Advisor

Mr. Fech

The 2011-2012 school year has already began for the new officers.  Meetings and setting up of events have already taken place this year to get ready for what the new school year will bring.  Carolina Larrain, class of 2012 secretary, says, “Being a class officer gives me the opportunity to get my fellow classmates input involved in our school’s activity.”  With these new class elections, students are able to know that with their new class officers, their 2011-2012 school year will be an amazing experience and an unforgettable memory.