Newman Catholic Schools Week: United Through the Spirit

By Bailey Dillon

Newman Catholic Schools will be having a dress-up spirit week next week, January 31 through February 4, 2011.  Days of the week include Newman Catholic Spirit day, Nerd day, Pajama/Comfy day, Church day and Favorite Team day.  All students must follow all Newman Catholic dress code rules.

Monday, January 31 will be Newman Catholic Spirit day or Patriotic day.  Students must wear red, white and/or blue spirit wear supporting our Newman Catholic schools.  Jeans are allowed only if you are wearing Newman spirit wear.  You may wear a team jersey, shooting shirt, or athletic style T-shirts from Newman Catholic.  All shirts must have sleeves.  No sweats are allowed.

Tuesday, February 1will be Nerd Day.  Students are allowed to dress nerdy.  Jeans are allowed if students are dressed as nerds and are following all the Newman Catholic dress codes. 

Junior varsity boys basketball will be playing at 5:45pm against Pittsville.  The varsity boys basketball will be playing at 7:30 against Pittsville.  The varsity boys hockey co-op team will play at 7:00pm in Antigo.  These games will all be played on Tuesday, February 1, 2011. 

Wednesday, February 2 will be Pajama/Comfy day.  Students may wear Bathrobes, slippers, pajamas and they may wear sweatpants if there is no wording on the back.

Thursday, February 3 will be Church day.   All students will be dressing up for church.  There will be no reserved parking spots in the Newman Catholic High School parking lot on this day.  About 30 parking spots will be for the Diocesan officials, the Bishop, clergy, grandparents, and religious.  Students will be allowed to park in the streets.  There will be no open lunch for the seniors.  The schedule has changed for Thursday, so students will be told where they must be throughout the day.  

On February 3, the junior varsity girl’s basketball team will be playing at 5:45pm at Northland Lutheran.    At 7:30pm, the varsity girl’s basketball team will be playing at Northland Lutheran. The varsity hockey team will be playing at 7:00pm against Northland Pines in Mosinee, WI.

On Friday, February 4 all students should dress for Favorite Sports Team day, which will include jerseys and sweatshirts.  Students are only allowed to wear gear from a professional, college or NCHS sports team.  No T-shirts will be allowed.  Jeans are allowed only if Newman students are wearing their favorite team. 

On the evening of February 4, the C-team boys basketball and junior varsity boys basketball teams will be playing at 5:45pm in Auburndale.  The varsity boy’s basketball team will be playing at 7:30pm also in Auburndale. 

A Quest for Perfection: The Story of Paul Michlig

By Adam Rutz

When Paul Michlig took a coaching job at his high school alma mater in 2003, he was faced with a very tough challenge. Michlig accepted an offer with a losing team that wasn’t going anywhere at the time, but he took that task and made the best of it. At the end of the Newman Catholic Cardinals’ 2009 season, Michlig had the program completely turned around. He had led his football team to their second consecutive playoff birth, something that Newman Catholic hadn’t done in a very long time. However, things in 2010 were even better; Newman not only got to the playoffs for a third consecutive time, but they also got the first WIAA playoff wins in school history. Football isn’t the only sport Michlig has had success coaching either, as his girl’s track team added another trophy to the case last year with a second place finish at state.

Paul Michlig graduated from Newman in 1996; he was a stellar three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. "I put in a lot of hours in working out when I was younger. We spent a lot of hours playing sports and the bond I created with my teammates was key because good teamwork brings success" says Michlig. He still holds the school record in track for his 100-meter dash time, and is number one in the record books in a lot of football statistics. Though he may have his accolades from the past, they don’t mean nearly as much to him as seeing young student-athletes develop as human beings.

After Michlig finished college, he ended up returning to Newman to coach and hasn’t ever thought of doing things differently. "Life works in strange ways. I am a strong believer in the Catholic religion and wanted to be a part of that. It worked out for me and I am really proud to be at Newman Catholic" Michlig says. In seeing firsthand how Michlig acts when coaching, he demands hard work from his athletes, but, importantly, also demands that they grow as Christians as well.

The 33-year old coaches varsity football, varsity track & field, and 8^th grade boys basketball. He enjoys being a part of how young men and women develop as people, and that is what he says is his favorite thing about coaching. All of his success in track really helps with making high-school athletes better because he has a lot of experience with what he is coaching. Michlig also enjoys being around his assistant coaches and friends, like Coach Thorpe, who helps with football and track & field.

While the hard work behind the scenes continues, Newman sports will continue to stay on the rise as well with all the talent and dedication the student athletes put in for their coaches.

Meet Mrs. Thoreson

By Bailey Dillon and Gaonou Lo

Newman Catholic started the year with teachers that have been here for years and teachers that are just starting here in 2010-11.  One of those new teachers is Mrs. Thoreson (high school level Spanish teacher). 

Before she came to Newman Catholic, Mrs. Thoreson taught at DeForest High School and Dodgeville High School, and was the department chairperson for all languages.  Mrs. Thoreson speaks fluent Spanish and has chosen it as a career because she enjoyed it in high school and she has also traveled to Spain and Mexico.  If she could teach a class other than Spanish, it would be interior decorating designing.  She also believes that there could be more technology equipment in the classrooms to help improve our school. 

So far, Mrs. Thoreson enjoys her students and the staff and she likes the atmosphere because it is a positive place to work.  Also, her husband, Mr. Thoreson, our guidance counselor, pays for her lunch everyday.

Jazz Bands Jam at Wausau East

By Paige Gelling

On Saturday, January 15^th, the halls of Wausau East High School were filled with music from local jazz ensembles. Many jazz bands from around the area were in attendance at this year’s Wausau East Jazz Festival. The local high school bands got to play their pieces for local professional jazz musicians, and they received critiques afterward.

Participating in the festivities was our very own Newman Catholic High School Jazz Band. Junior Erin Gassner plays the tenor saxophone in our band, and she said she really enjoyed the festival. “I feel as if getting help from the local professional jazz musicians really helped our jazz band improve on our piece, especially in regards to technique. It was nice to get that extra help because this is the piece we will be performing at Solo & Ensemble this coming February. It was a very fun and educational experience and I can’t wait until next year.”

Later that evening, there was a jazz concert held in the Wausau East auditorium. Performers on the program included jazz groups from nine local high schools and John Greiner's SwingShift Band.

Cooking with Kronberger

By Adam Rutz

In 1991, Mrs. Kronberger began her legacy as a foods teacher in Garland, Texas, at the same high school she had graduated from. After Newman Catholic's Mary Kurtzweil decided to retired last year, someone had to step up and take the former foods and sewing teacher's place. That person was indeed Mrs. Jennifer Kronberger, also our school's librarian.

"I enjoy interacting with the students and teaching them skills they can carry on with them for the rest of their lives," said Kronberger. "I really like working with others and it's a joy to be able to be around these students each day." Kronberger has displayed excellent talents in not only the kitchen but also the classroom portion of the teachings. Mrs. K really helps students learn both aspects of skills that are important as they continue their journey as young adults and begin to live on their own after high school. Her ability to relate to the students is very nice and helps the kids realize that cooking isn’t so hard after all.

When Kronberger isn’t in school teaching she spends a lot of time with her young children, Forrest, age 9, and Kit, age 8, as well as her husband Mike. The Kronberger family has moved quite a bit due to Mr. Kronberger’s job relocations, but now that they are settled here in Wausau, they’ll be here to stay. Mrs. Kronberger enjoys reading and teaching her children important things that they’ll need in the future, and watching them grow up.

"Even though my children are young, I really enjoy teaching them new skills that they can use at home in the kitchen to make things a lot more fun when cooking at home," Kronberger said. She plans to be at Newman Catholic for a while, but the one thing she wants do to in her lifetime is write a children’s book. To learn more about Mrs. Kronberger stop in Room 101 or the library to chat with her.

Newman Catholic Girls Basketball Continues to Dominate

By Adam Rutz

The Newman Catholic Lady Cardinals have not lost a game since December 29^th, 2009 when they dropped a non-conference game to Marshfield during a holiday tournament, but that game didn’t matter as Tom Weinkauf’s squad won another state title last spring. In their expectations for 2011, the Cardinals plan on getting back to the Kohl Center again as they remain undefeated and one of the top teams in the state, regardless of division. Led by UW-Green Bay recruit Taylor Thomas, she and her teammates are 11-0 as they take on the Edgar Wildcats tonight.

Projected to win another state title, Newman hasn’t had a team come even close to beating them besides the Holiday Tournament in Marshfield over Christmas break. They only lost one senior from last year’s team, but they returned the top player in the state, Taylor Thomas, who leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game. Besides Thomas, the Lady Cardinals start three other seniors: Erica Hartke, Lauren Tubbs, and Megan Connolly.

As Newman Catholic continues their pursuit of their second consecutive state title, cheer them on tonight at Edgar at 7:30 p.m.

Key Club Keeps Activities Coming

By Gaonou Lo

Key Club is one of the more well known clubs at Newman Catholic.  The club is currently run by Nicole Cornell (president) and Maria Legenza (vice president).  The main theme of Key Club is to volunteer and help improve the community.  Key Club participates in various activities including Men Who Cook, Make a Difference Day, Elephant Ears, and many more. 

During a student’s senior year, the Kiwanis of Greater Wausau, who sponsors Newman Catholic’s Key Club, provides a college scholarship.  Two very important events that are coming up for Key Club are Men Who Cook, on January 15^th, and District Convention (DCON), which is held on the weekend of March 5^th.  DCON gives Key Clubbers the opportunities to interact with other Key Clubbers around Wisconsin and Upper Michigan and learn more about Key Club.  Elections are also held during DCON and there is a big dance party Saturday night.

Band and Choir Attend "Billy Elliot"

By Paige Gelling

 

If you want to dance … dance! On Sunday, January 9th 2011, the Newman Catholic High School music department traveled to Minneapolis. On the agenda for the day was the award-winning Broadway musical Billy Elliot, and a stop at Minnesota’s own Mall of America.

The funding for this trip came from the music department’s annual cookie sale that goes on during December. The music department tries to go on a trip every year, and it is always a great experience. Senior Ashley Bradfish says her favorite part of this year’s trip was seeing how much talent came from all the actors, especially the young ones. “I love the NCHS music department trips because we get to go see a professional show. Not everyone gets to do that so I think we’re really lucky.”

Bradfish isn’t the only one who loves these trips. They continue to be a big success, and the students hope they keep going for many years to come.

Rotary Club Offers a Chance for Community Involvement

By Matt Schneider

This past year a select group of Newman students have had the privilege of attending Rotary Club meetings.

Rotary Club meetings take place on Mondays and consist of a lunch, followed by guest speakers. Guest speakers usually include prominent community members who inform those attending on the goings-on in the community. Such discussions could range from up-and-coming social events to town policies.

Visiting Rotary Club meetings is an excellent opportunity for students to become more connected with their community. Club members are typically local businessmen and women and it is not uncommon to see local politicians there as well. P.J. Menzner was one of the students who was chosen to attend Rotary Club meetings during his lunch hour. When asked about his experience he said: "It was a fun and engaging experience. I got to eat lunch and meet with many important business leaders in our community and it was very interesting to hear their stories." P.J. is currently hoping to pursue a degree in business in college.

Among the many unique opportunities offered to students at Newman Catholic High School, a chance to visit Rotary Club is a chance worth taking.

Exam Nerves Affect Students

By Matt Schneider and Tawni Reusch

Exams are one of the most stressful parts of high school and a very new experience for freshman.

Unlike any form of tests taken before high school, exams are typically heavily weighted toward a student's overall grade.  Exams take up over half a week: Wednesday, January 12^th and Thursday, January 13^th have three tests, Friday January 14^th have only two. 

Although they only last half a normal school day, exams are very daunting to seniors and freshman alike.  One freshman, when asked about how she felt about exams, said she did not know when to feel ready as she had never taken such big tests before. 

Similar thoughts are shared by seniors at Newman, despite experience. One stated that even after all those years, it is hard to tell what each new class will do to challenge students in their exams. This is the second to last set of exams for the seniors.  It is common for some to believe that they are going to be fine as long as they study only a little because they have already been accepted into college, while others believe they should study extremely hard in order to get perfect grades. Either of these points of view can be taken depending on the type of student you talk to. No matter which kind of student you deal with, stress is a key emotion that comes along with taking some of the largest tests students will ever have to take. 

The long awaited exams cause stress for everyone from freshman to seniors. 

Young Musicians Perform in Christmas Concert

By Marshall De Lonay

On Wednesday, December 15^th, the Newman Catholic High School music department put on a rousing performance at their Christmas Concert.  The night started off with the Concert Band playing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and three movements from the piece “Messiah.”  The pieces set the environment, and Christmas flair filled the gym. 

The second group to perform was the Newman Catholic Jazz Band.  Their songs put a lovely swing on the whole concert.  They performed songs including “Feliz Navidad,” “O Christmas Tree,” and a lovely melody of Christmas favorites in “A Big Band Christmas 1 and 2.”  There were tremendous solos by Marshall De Lonay, Nate Martin, Erin Kast, and most importantly Brad Miller who premiered in his first solo performance.

The Concert Choir was the last to perform, but certainly not the least.  They performed some of the great songs such as “All Through the Night” and “Dinner Bell Carol.”  Their harmonies filled the gym and if you closed your eyes it seemed as though you were in Carnegie Hall listening to the Notre Dame Choir. 

The night ended with a collaboration of the Concert Band and Choir in a performance of “Mary Did You Know?”  The band and choir complimented each other seamlessly and the extra accompaniment by our special guests, Mrs. Raddatz on cello, Maddie Luetmer on violin, and Mr. Maher on trumpet, added so much to the arrangement.  The night ended splendidly and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performances. 

The next time to catch the talented music department will be in the spring at the Spring Concert; it will be an inspiring end to the seniors’ performances under the Newman Catholic High School roof.  They will all be missed, but it will be a performance that will never be forgotten.