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.