Newman Students Participate in the NFL

By Makayla Heisler

On April 18, various students competed in the NFL; more commonly known as the National Forensics League until the National Football League bought the rights to their “NFL” title. The history of the name change is not important though; what is important is the students who competed in this year’s state competition in Madison, WI.

Every year students at Newman Catholic High School find the time to practice various pieces of literary work from prose to poetry. They then perform their pieces in front of a judge for a 1 – 25 score at a series of forensics meets. These scores are based on emotion, hand gestures, appropriate timing, rhythm, and other variables put into a performance.

Two performances made it to this year’s state forensics. A group interpretation composed of seniors Carson Ruflet, Sam McCarty, and PJ Menzner advanced to state. Their “Creation of Zeus” interpretation won the hearts of everyone that saw the performance, and they were awarded at state with a silver medal.

In serious solo acting was junior Erin Gassner. She delivered a dramatic performance from the play “The Diary of Anne Frank.” Her memorized monologue from the play earned her a bronze at state. “Forensics is one of my favorite activities because I love theater. I plan on going into a degree in musical theater. I always get to meet interesting people, and the entire experience is a lot of fun.”

Forensics is a fun way to show off academic skills in a competitive setting. Students every year have been competing in forensics, and they will continue on doing so for many years to come.

Snaps (congratulations) to the forensics team!

Merrill Tornado Hits Home at Newman Catholic High School

By Stephanie Thomson

The severe storms and tornados that hit Merrill a few weeks ago were closer than we knew when it came to Newman High School’s Evan Olson and Daley Rupar.  They both live in Merrill and are feeling the effects of the recent severe weather.

Senior Evan Olson really felt the hit, since he had damage on his family’s property after the roaring tornado went through.  His family, like many others, is still feeling the after-effects over a week later.  When asked about what he thought of all of the efforts that many different community members are doing, he said, “It is great to see everyone helping out.  It really shows how close the community is.”

Junior Daley Rupar has also felt the brunt of the severe weather.  Her family lives in the Merrill area, right on the water.  With all of the rain, wind, and tornados, being near water is a very dangerous situation. 

The Newman Catholic Campus is hosting a penny war to help those who are in need.  The penny war is taking place during the week of April 26 through April 29.  The high school and middle school classes will collect money in their assigned buckets, with pennies and dollars being positive and silver being negative.  The goal is to raise $1000, which will be used to buy scrip for various stores, including gas money for tornado victims.  Start collecting dollars and pennies now to help support the victims of the damage of the recent severe storms.  

Catching a Cabin Fever

By Marshall De Lonay

On April 9, Newman Catholic High School had a very special event occur in their gymnasium.  It was Cabin Fever, a fundraiser held every year for the school.  There were many different activities to enjoy, with fun that continued throughout the night.

While most of the people in attendance were the parents of the students and important benefactors, the students ran most of the events.  There was a putt-putt golf course, which was run by some of the players from the soccer team along with Mr. Switalski, the boys soccer coach.  Other students worked the silent auctions and sold tickets for the various raffles, which were going on throughout the night.

There was also musical diversions that entertained those in attendance while they ate the wonderful food from Texas Roadhouse.  The main headliner was the Lake George Music Club who did an array of classic hits from various artists including everything from Van Morrison to Maroon 5.  There also was a performance by Newman Catholic’s own Marshall De Lonay while the band was on a break between sets. 

The party continued long into the night and everyone had a marvelous time.  Many are looking forward to next year’s Cabin Fever, and hopefully the attendance and the venue will continue to grow and improve for many years to come.

Golf Season Off To A Slow Start

By Stephanie Thomson and Brianna Bratland

With an all the snow, rain, and crazy weather we have been having this year, it has been difficult for the golf team to be able to practice. 

The team’s practices are usually held at the American Legion in Wausau, but with all the snow left over and the rain that flooded the course, it has been hard for the team to practice.  The team now practices at the Legion driving range or Rib Mountain Golf Course.  Their practices consist of hitting on the driving range and various exercise activities. 

The Newman Catholic golf team had their first meet on Tuesday April 12, 2010.  Playing with five other schools, Newman Catholic placed second in the meet.  The team’s goal is to go to state. “This year’s team is going to be a good one because all of the team members are dedicated to go to state,” said Justin Baumann, who has been playing golf for Newman Catholic throughout his high school career.

With many more meets to come, the players are ready to show their skills and make their way to state!

Seniors Psyched About Graduation

By Paige Gelling

If you were to ask any of the Newman Catholic High School seniors what exciting event is happening in just a few short weeks, you are sure to hear “Graduation!” as your answer, with an added “woo-hoo!” or “I can’t wait!” at the end. At the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, the seniors could not have been more excited. It was finally their time to shine; they were the top dogs, and they planned to make the most of it.

The seniors are looking forward to graduation for a plethora of reasons. Makayla Heisler is ecstatic about closing one chapter of life, moving to a new place, and seeing where life may lead. Paige Gelling is looking forward to attending a school where there are more than 200 people. She’s also excited about everything that college has to offer, including study abroad programs and not having to follow a dress code. Nick Cornell is excited about all the new opportunities presented by college, such as meeting new and diverse people, a variety of clubs and activities, and more specialized study opportunities.

Throughout this past year, the seniors have seen some great moments and made some unforgettable memories. From working hard in the classroom to working hard on the court, winning homecoming, and making crazy outfits for the Girls State Basketball Tournament, the seniors have experienced it all, and truly left a mark on Newman’s history.

The commencement ceremonies for the class of 2011 will take place on Friday, May 27^th at 7:00 PM in the NCHS gymnasium.

Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

By Bailey Dillon

A Scholastic book fair was held at the Newman Catholic High Shcool and Middle School campus in March 2011. The goal was to purchase new books for the Newman Catholic Library.

“The middle school students here at Newman Catholic were the biggest shoppers for new books, pencils, pens, etc. The number one item sold at the book fair was the Justin Bieber posters,” said Mr. Kronberger, who organized the book fair as part of her job in our library.

Mrs. Kronberger says that the fair was “a new positive experience” and hopes to “increase the amount of time students spend reading” and was “amazed with the volunteers' help, and their experience was extremely useful.”

The book fair also had a donation box called “One for Books.” “For each dollar dropped in the box, one book from scholastic will be donated to a charity and about 17 books were donated.” She hopes to see this idea used again next year to “possibly donate up to 50 books to charity.”

“We hope to have a book fair annually. It was really fun for me to see the excitement in some students when they find a book that they have really wanted to read,” said Mrs. Kronberger.

Spring Fashion Tips

By Erin Gassner

According to the calendar, and the ever-so-slowly melting snow outside, spring is upon us! To most people, springtime means Easter baskets full of chocolate, baby animals, and school coming to an end. I think of spring fashion possibilities: shorts, bright colors, tank tops, and sandals. Although all the students in the building simply want to lounge around in shorts and tank tops, we have to make sure that our spring attire is appropriate for school!

I am slowly counting the days until we can wear shorts to school – which is not until May. However, we girls can hold out by wearing capri pants and skirts; just make sure that they are no more than three inches above the knee! Guys, sadly, have to be patient and wait until May to wear shorts.

Like peanut butter and jelly, summer and flip-flops go together. Much to the annoyance of many students of Newman, plastic flip-flops are not allowed to be worn at school. Technically, they are classified as “beachwear.” Though affordable, cute, and comfortable, you should wait until summer breaks out to wear them on the weekdays. Students can wear leather and canvas flip-flops, and appropriate sandals. If you are looking for a store to purchase these, American Eagle has a fine selection to pick from for both women and men.

Another summer wardrobe essential is the comfortable and casual tank top. Though a key item in many a closet, any tank top worn to school (this applies more to girls) must have three inch or bigger shoulder straps. Most people are good about this rule, but if you are not sure about whether your tank is appropriate or not, throw a sweater over it or a t-shirt underneath.

Summer is a great time for fashion – we can wear open-toed shoes without our toes freezing, we don’t have to bundle up just to go to school, and we can also wear shorts! Our school however, has some rules to make sure that we are dressed properly. Though these rules seem stifling and are an annoyance sometimes, they are important to make sure all students are dressed modestly.

NCHS Softball Looking For More Success This Spring

By Adam Rutz

Led by underclassmen in 2010, the Newman Catholic Lady Cardinals softball team had a bit of a turn around, as they won 14 games - 10 more than they did in 2009. Luckily, they don’t plan on having any setbacks in their upcoming 2011 season. Josh Thomas’ team returns seven of last year’s nine starters, including Hannah Baumann, Brianna Jehn, and a very talented group of sophomores.

Junior Brianna Jehn and sophomore Brianna Jankowski are expected to follow up on their Marawood All-Conference honors on the mound last season . When it comes to hitting, Jehn, Jankowski, Baumann, Christina Grunow, and Kimberly Steif will carry the Lady Cardinals on offense. With so much talent returning, anything is possible for the squad this season, and that is credited to the hard work of young Coach Josh Thomas.

Thomas, is in his third season as the head coach for the Newman Catholic softball team, and with him running things, anything can happen this season. Coach Thomas led the Lady Cardinals to an impressive 14-7 record last year, and hopes to win even more this season, maybe even making it to state. The team’s first game is scheduled for April 5th at Manawa, but with the current weather and field conditions, will most likely be postponed.

Lady Cardinals Bring Home Another Golden Ball

By Adam Rutz

Though NCHS students were enjoying their spring vacation this past week, there were quite a few students celebrating the two-peat in girls state basketball the weekend before. The Lady Cardinal basketball team capped off a nearly perfect season with their second straight state championship title to bring back to Newman Catholic. Tom Weinkauf’s senior-led squad finished their season with a record of 28-1, going undefeated in conference play.

UW-Green Bay recruit Taylor Thomas lived up to the hype down in Madison as she dropped 26 points on an undefeated Black Hawk team in the semi-final on Thursday. Thomas followed it up with 16 points in the 55-28 win over River Ridge in the Championship, along with assistance from senior Megan Connolly who went 5 for 14 from the field totaling 12 points and 8 rebounds, two boards shy of a double-double.

The extra banner to be hung in the rafters didn’t come as a surprise to many, as the Lady Cardinals only lost one player from last year’s roster. However, this year they started four seniors and will lose a total of six for next season. On the positive side though, next year’s team will return juniors Brianna Jehn and Sarah Connolly who received a significant amount of playing time this season and split time in the starting line-up.

Winning back-to-back state championships gives the girls a taste of success, and a desire to get back to Madison for a third consecutive year. Hopefully, next year’s squad can make another trip back to Madison in March, and with Tom Weinkauf at the helm, anything is possible.