xavier - newsletter - march%202006

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By A lex Supr i seSinceit was announced to the

public March 9, the anonymous

$900,000 donation to "Forward

in Faith" for a new practice gymhas conjured up much excite-

ment among the Xavier commu-

nity.

"It's an awesome gift and

will have a significant impact

on the school," said Mr. Matt

Reynebeau.According to Mr. Jim

Biesterveld, the gym is to be

114 feet long by 102 feet wide;

comparable to the more rectan-

gular Torchy Clark

Gymnasium, which is 126 feet

long by 90 feet wide.

The new gym will contain

two full sized basketball/volley-

ball courts with space between

for team benches and/or cheer-ing fans. An overlapping third

court facing the opposite direc-

tion will be put to use during

Xavier home games. In addi-

tion, bleachers located on the

east wall of the gym will be

pulled out for games that take

place on the third court.

Tradition is highly valued in

the eyes of Xavier students and

alumni, who have a special

place in their hearts for the

existing gym. "I'm glad they're

keeping Torchy Clark as the

gym for varsity games," said

senior basketball player Kate

Kessenich.

With extra space available,cheerleading and the dance and

drill team no longer will be con-

fined to the commons for prac-

tice and wrestling won't have to

go to St. Joe's.

"It will be much more con-

venient for us," said sophomore

dance and drill team member

Dayne Boyer. "We won't have

to put the tables up and then

back down [in the commons]."

Like the rest of the schools in

its conference, Xavier will be

able to host multiple volley

and basketball games simu

neously when it contains

gyms. That means fresh

games won't have to beginearly, giving officials and ents with full-time jobs ea

access.

"I'm not going to be abl

reap the benefits,"

Kessenich. "But I'm sure

ing it will help with prac

times. It gets inconvenien

have practice early in the m

ing or late at night."

The new gym, fully equip

with a divider curtain, will

By Madison HeidAfter getting cut from the

freshman basketball team,Amanda Brenneman made

school history.

Brenneman, who discovered

powerlifting four years ago,recently won a state champi-

onship in the sport.

"I worked for four years and

then I finally got the title. All of

my hard work really paid off,"

she said.

Recently, Brenneman compet-

ed in the WHSPA State

Championship in Holmen, and

lifted her way to a gold medal.

She recorded a 300 squat, a 300

dead lift, and a 135 bench press.

Her efforts earned the respectof many people, including her

fellow Xavier powerlifters.

"It's really great that she won.

She is the first state champion

we've ever had, so I'm proudof her," said junior Nick

Reider.

Brenneman's athletic

achievements haven't

always come as easily as

lifting the bar. She actu-

ally began powerlifting

because of a plea from a

friend.

"In my

freshman

year I

wanted

to try out

for basket-

ball. I didn't make it. (Senior)

Marissa McNelly talked me into joining powerlifting so she

wouldn't be the only girl on the

team. That's basically how I gotinto powerlifting," said

Brenneman.Brenneman has many differ-

ent ways that she prepares and

psyches herself up before a

competition.

"I've been doing

powerlifting for four

years-five days a

week, with cardio for

two of those days,"

said Brenneman.

Her workout

schedule

is extremely

intense, but she also

has some unique

before-competition rituals that

help maintain momentum."I have to have my

McDonald's breakfast every

morning before a competitionbacon, egg and cheese biscui

Also, I always need to have asong stuck in my head before

go to lift," said Brenneman.

Her competition was tight,

featured many other female

competitors. During the hec

competition, several things w

going on at the same time.

"I competed with 21 other

girls in my 142 weight class.

The competition was very clo

the entire time," said

Brenneman.

Brenneman has also earned

the respect of teachers and st

at Xavier.

"I think it's great for the gi

of the powerlifting program

The ProspectorMarch 20

Brenneman makes history with WHSPA titl

Area homeless rate reaches 6 percenBy Ashley BeckAlthough the Fox Valley's

average gross adjusted income

remains nearly $3,000 above the

state average, its growing home-

lessness rate proves poverty is

inescapable.

Following a .5 percent increase

since 2002, the Fox Cities' pover-

ty rate recently rose to nearly six

percent of its total population.

According to Debra

Cronmiller, executive director of

the Appleton Emergency Shelter,

a half-percent change can impactsociety in a large way.

"For the people now living in

poverty, that's a big difference,"

she said.

Cronmiller attributes the pres-

ence of local homelessness to job

loss, health problems or mental

health issues.

"Low income people who have

a setback are at risk (for home-

lessness)," she said.

In response to the growing

need for temporary housing, sev-eral local agencies have stepped

up their programs.

Both the Appleton Emergency

Shelter and Catholic Relief

Services for the Green Bay

Diocese provide aid to the indi-

gent.

The Emergency Shelter offers

safe and temporary housing for

"at risk" individuals. Although

the shelter only houses people on

a short-term basis, its services

provide the means to help them

escape homelessness permanent-

ly.

Cronmiller said, "We've devel-

oped a whole cadre of support

services that help individuals

leave homelessness."

Charles Hanner, a resident of

the shelter for five weeks, experi-enced its array of these services

firsthand.

He said, "I got laid off, and I

had no other resources. I went

straight to the shelter."

"They have a lot of resources,"

he said. "When you get ready to

leave, they want to make sure

you don't get back in that situa-

tion."

The Catholic Church's faith-

based programs also continu

a primary driving force in c

batting homelessness.

According to Father Able

St. Joseph Parish, the Cath

Church has been "the stron

voice in dealing with pove

Rooted in Scripture, the Ch

consistently stresses humancall to serve the poor.

"If we've been blessed,"

said, "we are called to share

those who are less fortunate.

St. Joseph established a h

ing program of its own in 19

"We turned our old con

into a place for people who w

trying to get their lives b

together."

Plans for new practice gym excite student

Page2

STATE

Mock Trial takes silver

DAY IN THE LIFE OF

Solo and Ensemble sings

great tune

Page 4

Page 3

ACADEMIC APPEAL

Non-Catholic students

enjoy Xavier education

SIGNING BONUS

More athletes agree to

play in college

Page 8

SPRING SPIRIT

Spring sports lack spec-

tators

See New Gym, Pag

See Poverty, Pag

See State Champ, Pag

Page 3



N e w s Marc h 20

Poverty: Community and faith-based programs reach out to homeless

Split decision grants mock trial team second placeBy Thomas PranicaThey slept, then they awoke

and no one slept for 48 hours.

This was the state competition forXavier's Mock Trial Team.

"State is like running a

marathon except you're blind-

folded and it's in England," said

senior captain Tim Faust.

Xavier finished second in the

state this year, the farthest any

Xavier Mock Trial team has

gone. The team presented its

case in the final round before the

Justices of the State Supreme

Court at the Capital in Madison,

but lost a close match to seven-

year state title holder

Rhinelander.

Xavier competed with teams

from 14 other regions at the two-

day competition. At a banquet

after the first full day of trials, the

Wisconsin State Bar Association

announced the two finalists,

Xavier and Rhinelander. Only

these two teams progressed on to

the final round, held the next day.

"I was excited, but I was a littledisappointed that my side of the

case wasn't

p e r f o r m -

ing," said

s e n i o r

L o g a n

Thein.

Until this

year, the

final round

had always

e l u d e d

X a v i e r ,

who has

qualified for

the state competition for the past

five years.

"It was a very different atmos-

phere," said sophomore Marc

Lonergan.

The seven State Supreme Court

Justices, under the leadership of

Chief Justice Shirley

Abrahamson, presided over the

trial. Varsity attorneys Faust,seniors Heath May and Andy

Gloss provided a solid case in the

final round, but Rhinelander

pulled out the victory, 4-3.

"This has been the best year.

There was strong team unity and

great senior leadership," said

moderator Mrs. Monica Jones.

"This made it an even harder loss

to swallow."

"The Rhinelander rivalry issimilar to the Xavier, Fox Valley

L u t h e r a n

r i v a l r y

except we

are Fox

V a l l e y

L u t h e r a n ,

they lost the

Apple Bowl

again," said

varsity time

keeper senior

J o h n

Korevec.

Rhinelander

has controlled the state competi-

tion for the last 19 years, having

been state champions 13 of those

years. As of this year,

Rhinelander has defended the

state title for the last seven con-

secutive years. "Ever since w

been going to state there

always been a very compet

rivalry," said Lonergan.Xavier has been narrowing

gap between Rhinelander

placing in order seventh, f

third and second.

In addition to Mrs. Jones, a

ney Mr. Kevin Lonergan,

Ellen Breithaupt, Mr.

Brellenthin and Mr. B

Borchardt help out with the te

The Xavier program, w

has provided two teams to c

pete in regionals for nume

years, could be one of

school's most successful

grams. For the past five years

program has earned a chanc

compete at the state level and

the past three years, the prog

has sponsored the top one

two teams in the region.

Seniors Heath May, Andy Gloss and Tim Faust at the state mock trial meet.

Photo by Thomas Pranica

By Heidi Br i t tnacher Forensics, a club that promotes

creativity and confidence on

many different levels, neverleaves its participants speechless.

Participants say they appreci-

ate the opportunity both to per-

form and to learn from forensics.

"There are a lot of different

opportunities and different ways

to express yourself, and a lot of

different areas that get you better

at public speaking," said senior

Katie Ebben.

Sophomore Nicole Jahns said

she thinks it is fun to participate

in meets, and she likes the com-

petition.

"I also like hanging out with

my friends," she said.

The variety of categories

gives students the option of act-ing, debating, speaking, or even a

mixing theseof categories.

They compete either in small

groups or individually, in four to

12 minute acts.

There are 19 categories, from

group interpretation to radio

announcing. Group interpreta-

tion includes acting and speak-

ing, performed by reading a

script to give the audience a

chance to imagine what is hap-

pening.

During radio announcing, on

the other hand, a person is given

a newspaper and 30 minutes to

prepare a five minute broadcast

that covers all the highlights of the news and requires a commer-

cial.

In a forensics meet, each per-

son participates in anywhere

from one to three categories.

Ebben is usually in group inter-

pretation, where her group choos-

es a story and makes up move-

ments to go with their story.

"I am with a bunch of other

people and it's a lot more fun

practicing, and because you get

to work together as a team," she

said.

Jahns enjoys play acting. "It's

more interesting to watch and

participate in," she said.

Play acting involves perform-ing a scene from a play, without

using costumes or props.

During a meet, there are four

rounds, and everyone participates

in the first three. During these

rounds, the participants are cri-

tiqued on a scale of one to five,

with one being the desired score.

The judges total the scores, and

send the participants with the

lowest scores into a fourth round.

This round, called the power

round, is the culmination of every

category.

Here students present the p

they performed throughout

first three rounds.

After scoring the performa judges declare the person

the lowest score the overall w

ner of that specific category.

Flexible practice times

students the ability to choose

much time they want to put

it.

"It can be [time consumin

you want it to be, because t

are some things that need m

preparation, like the group c

gories," said Ebben.

Creativity meets competition in high school forensics meet

From page 1Like the Emergency Shelter,

St. Joseph emphasizes the impor-

tance of escaping poverty.

"If a family had fallen apart,

they came here to get back

together," said Father Abler.

"They worked with family coun-

selors and were allowed to stay

for up to 18 months."Unfortunately, inhabitants'

stays at the convent were cut

short. In 2002, St. Joe's sold the

facility.

"The person who bought it out

allowed (the program) to go on.

(The building) was eventuallysold to the county, who wanted to

use it for office buildings," Fr.

Abler said. "People were asked to

leave."

Likewise, the Emergency

Shelter, which receives the bulk

of its funding from the govern-

ment, experienced a burden.

"We're not able to raise enough

community money to fund our

program," said Cronmiller.

"Some of that is the burden of government cuts. The communitymoney can't make up for that."

However, the federal govern-

ment does not overlook such

deficits.

According to Congressman

Mark Green, who represents

northeastern Wisconsin,

Congress recognizes the pressing

need to provide to local relief

agencies.

"Community based organiza-

tions are more effective. . .than

traditional bureaucratic pro-

grams," he said.

Congress, which creates the

budget for local agencies, does

not directly implement it. The

local government has a crucialrole in distributing the money itreceives from the federal govern-

ment.

Congressman Green said, "We

try to provide money to local

authorities who are closer to the

problems."

Local officials, such as

Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna,

decide how to divide the money

among local agencies.

"We get money from the feder-

al government in the form of

Community Development Block

Grants," said Mayor Hanna.

"Organizations can apply for

money and we decide how to

split it up," he said. "We usually

have requests for double what weget."

Despite funding issues and

recent cuts, the government's

willingness to battle homeless-

ness is far from over.

"Our commitment remains as

strong as ever," said

Congressman Green.

In spite of its recent escalation,

the problem of homelessnes

the Fox Cities sometimes

unnoticed.

According to Congress

Green, the general populace

misses poverty as an irrele

and out-of-scope issue.

"We think of homelessnes

very big cities, (but) there are

homelessness challenges (hesaid Congressman Green. "I tit's a far greater problem

people realize."

Despite the struggles, Fa

Abler said he feels optimistic

"We keep saying we have t

more, but if we stop to t

about what we've done, it's p

amazing," he said.



F e a t u r e sMarch 2006 Page

By Chr is HansenA LAN party is a very

common occurrence in thenerd realm.

A party consists of a

bunch of guys who have

nothing better to do except

play video games with other

guys; no jobs, no girl-

friends, no books to read.

They just play video games.

LAN stands for Local

Area Network, meaning a

network of video game sys-

tems duking it out for a said

prize. This is essential to these

nerds because, without video

games their view of reality may

actually be normal.

This gives them no inner hopeof ever dating anyone of any sub-

stance. But a LAN party is when

a group of guys with either an

Xbox or a moveable computer

connect their units and playgames of shoot 'em up with up to

16 players.

The LAN party is so fun

because it's a competition

between a bunch of friends that

has no injuries (sometimes) and a

guaranteed winner, a very black

and white activity.

The bonding that goes on at a

LAN party is very odd; it's kind

of like a brotherhood of guys who

can't stand to lose. Some of the

LAN parties that I have been to

ended in physical violence andthat promptly ended at that.

But most LAN parties are just a

bunch of dudes with a lot of soda,

pizza, testosterone and video

games.

One of the most famous LAN

parties known at Xavier was held

at the school. A Madden (EA

sports Madden NFL '04) tourna-

ment took place on a weekend

and had a huge turnout. The final

two people facing each other

played on a screen set up in the

commons.

A bracket system was set up

randomly and then

opponents played o

system of TV's througthe commons.

This was only con

ered a LAN party bec

it was a tournam

involving video game

the nerds would have

their way the game w

have been HALO II.

Madden is a foo

game so only two pe

can face each other

time.

Lengths of quarters were

for each level of playing and

opponents played a full g

against each other using reg

tion football teams from the NThe winner also received a

prize somewhere in the neigh

hood of $120.

A LAN party can be a g

social opportunity or a b

depending on how you con

yourself. A video game is

that, a game and that's ho

should be viewed but some

ple get a little too involved

and go over the edge.

So always remember to h

fun and if any hairy situat

come up, just leave.

Column

LAN fans enjoy techno party

LAN party participants gather at Chimera HobbyShop.

By Ashley BeckAfter four seasons as team-

mates on Xavier's varsity soccer

team, seniors Bryna Peplinski

and Amanda Kramer will contin-

ue to play side by side at Winona

State University of Minnesota.

Winona State, whose NCAA

Division II women's soccer team

ranks 11th in the nation, recruit-

ed both Peplinski and Kramer.

Peplinski, who plays midfield,

was named

to the first

team andX a v i e r ' s

g o a l i e ,K r a m e r ,

received an

honorable

mention on

the Post-

C r e s c e n t

A l l - A r e a

Squad in

2005.

K r a m e r

said she felt

comfortable with the Winona

State program.

"They kept calling me over the

summer and sending me stuff,"

s a i dKramer. "I

played with

them a

week dur-

ing my jun-

ior year and

I really

liked it."

Accordingto Xavier's Athletic Director Mrs.

Kathy Bates, Winona State has a

tie to Xavier.

"(Winona) knows how good

we are. They seem to look here

first for upcoming athletes,"she

said.

Winona State's connection withXavier began in 2002 when it

recruited Alumnae Katie Kramer.

Graduate Kayla Walters of 2004

also plays on Winona's soccer

team.

Despite the success of other

Xavier athletes, soccer players

dominate Xavier's recruitment.

"It seems to be the sport of late

that most of our athletes get

recruited for," Mrs. Bates said.

Winona State signs

Peplinski, Kramer

By Cai t l in O'LearyAlthough Xavier is quick to

welcome students of any religion,

it has no intentions of altering the

emphasis on a Catholic educa-

tion.

Xavier Principal Mr. Matt

Reynebeau said, "People coming

to Xavier know before enrolling

that this is a Catholic school.

Upon entering they become a part

of our community."

Despite Xavier's stress on the

significance of the Catholic faith,

many people of different reli-gions still feel attending Xavier is

right for them. According to

sophomore Zach Van Gompel,

the quality of education and

respect provided by Xavier make

attending worthwhile.

"My parents are the main rea-

son why I attend Xavier," he said.

"They wanted me to come here,

because they felt I would get abetter education. I agree with

their decision."

Being a non-Catholic student

at Xavier requires making some

extra sacrifices. An additional

$1,800 in tuition must be paid

yearly to cover the cost Catholic

parishes normally fund.

Despite the additional cost to

the $4,700 already required of

Catholic students, Xavier has no

specific procedure to bring in

non-Catholic students, according

to Mr. Reynebeau. "We really

have no marketing plan for non-

Catholic students. Generally, we

receive students of diverse reli-

gions based on word of mouth,"

he said. "This is where Xavier'sgreat reputation of students’

behavior as well as academic and

athletic excellence comes into

play."Xavier's high reputation pow-

erfully draws even Lutheran stu-

dents who normally would have

considered Fox Valley Lutheran.

Senior Liz Tusler said, "I chose

Xavier over FVL, because I felt

the education was better."

Despite obvious rivalry between

schools, according to Tusler, stu-

dents at Xavier act kindly toward

Lutheran students. "Everyone is

nice about it," she said. "I do get

teased a bit though, like when

they say the Hail Mary, but it is

totally a joke."

Along with extra tuition, non-

Catholic Xavier students also are

required to attend all prayer serv-

ices as well as participate in

appropriate religion classes.

Sophomore Jose Rivera, who

identifies himself as a Jewish

Christian, values the spiritual

background Xavier provides.

"Although I am not Catholic, myreligion is very similar. I still feel

it's beneficial for me," he said. "I

still feel comfortable in religion

classes, because we use the sameBible."

Some students of diverse reli-

gions do not feel they should be

forced to attend prayer services

or religion classes. "Religion

really was not a factor for my

enrollment at Xavier," said Van

Gompel. "I do not really see why

students like me can't simply

arrive later on prayer service days

or take another elective instead of

a religion class."

According to Mr. Reynebeau,

the Xavier administration

believes every student should

have both equal benefits and

requirements. "People of the

Xavier community attend prayer

services and complete religion

classes," he said. "The religious

classes are more of an academic

chance for students of different

religions to learn about our faith,

rather than a spiritual journey."

According to religion teacherMr. Mike Mauthe, an alteration in

the way non-Catholic students

are taught is not necessary. "I

don't change the curriculum, but Itry to present the information in a

way that is fairly generalized, so

it may apply to many different

students," he said. "I also try to

make an effort to create an envi-

ronment where non-Catholic stu-

dents still feel comfortable."

Xavier emphasizes

Catholicism as the rock of the

school and taking that lightly is

not the answer to future bu

issues, according to

Reynebeau. "We don't wan

water down the fact that we

Catholic. It is a big part of

school and very important,

said. "Another school in our

experimented with that i

They sold their school as mo

a Christian school, rather th

Catholic school. In the en

didn't work at all for them a

numbers suffered."

While religion teachers

Xavier enforce the spiritual idof Catholicism, their prim

goal is to teach the facts and

demics of the course. "Reli

classes at Xavier are set up slar to any other acade

course," said Mr. Mauthe. "N

Catholic students learn about

faith the same way Catholic

dents learn about world religi

There are so many para

between most religions as w

Theology generally can

applied to more than one grou

people."

Strength of XHS academics draws non-Catholics

Bryna Peplinski

Amanda Kramer



F e a t u r e s March 20

By Ben Wel ls7:32 - I wake up and get in the

shower. I am extremely glad thatsinging is not on my agenda

today.

8:01 - I arrive at Xavier and am

surprised by the amount of cars in

the parking lot.

8:03 - I find Dave Kirkpatrick

in the gym. He informs me that

he's drinking his traditional tea

and that his voice is still feeling

the effects of the FVL game

Thursday.8:05 - Dave lets me know that

his first event is a duet with

Robyn Galloway. We meet up

with her and head to the practice

rooms so they can warm-up.

8:15 - They finish practicing

and we head over to Mr. Mauthe's

room where they are supposed to

perform. We check in with the

site manager and they get pre-

pared to sing.

8:17-8:21 - While we're wait-

ing for the room to be ready, they

talk music. I don't study music so

I'm completely lost during this

conversation.

8:28 - We all go in and listen to

Brittany Tomasi sing her Italian

song. She does well.

8:34 - Dave and Robyn begin

to sing their duet, “O Death

Where is Thy Sting.”

8:37 - They finish their song

and head to the back table to gettheir review from the judge.

Emily Rippl then kicks us out of

the room because she is too nerv-

ous to perform in front of us.8:42 - Dave and I head back to

the gym to get his musicfor the rest of the day.

8:48 - We meet up

with his parents and talk

about when and where

the rest of his events are.

8:54-9:00 - We go

down to the office for

Dave to practice, and

then listen to Robyn

practice her next song.

9:01 - We go in and

listen to Chuck Vogt and

Dana Koth sing “Lost is My

Quiet Forever.” They do a

great job, and the judge describes

them as "fun to listen to."

9:11 - We listen to a random

Waupaca kid sing “The Sally

Gardens.” We're just passing the

time until Robyn does her solo.

He sings a little too quietly but

not bad.

9:17 - Robyn is waiting for the

judge to be ready. She jokes how

she can't stand up straight, and

mentions how silent the room is.

9:18 - Robyn begins to sing her

French solo “Luce Cre.”

9:19 - Halfway through thesong, I look over to see Brittany

reading the song as Robyn is

singing it.9:20 - Robyn finishes a great

performance. The judge says "I

don't have anything to help you

with."

9:25 - Dave and I walk down to

the commons and go through the

a la carte area to buy a bottle of

water. It is actually really con-

fusing as to where you pay and to

whom you give your money, but

we get it worked out.

9:26 - Dave goes to the rest-

room for the first time today, but

says there is more to come.

9:28 - We head down to the

commons to check out the results

.9:30 - We stay and Dave prac-tices in the commons. It's a little

noisy, but it still does the job.

9:33 - We make sure the two

music books are at the site. One

is for the judge to look at and the

other is for the pianist.9:40 - Dave goes to

the bathroom again

and describes himself

as "nervous." On the

way back, we see

Robyn down the hall

and Dave goes over to

her and she wishes

him good luck on his

solo.

9:48 - Dave decides

he's going to make up

the interesting aspect off

the cuff instead of prepar-

ing one ahead of time.

9:49 - Dave uses the bathroom

one more time before his per-

formance. He claims the cause

was his two teas and three waters

this morning.

9:53 - Dave performs his solo

“O Del Mio Dolce Andor,” and

uses the word "runs" when he

tells the judges about the interest-

ing aspect in his piece, instead of

the "melizmas" his pianists sug-

gested.

9:56 - Dave finishes, the ju

says it was very good.10:00 - We stay in M

Jamison's room and listen to

Dungar sing his German

"Nacht and Traume."10:03 - Ben finishes his s

The judge seems to like it.10:06 - Dave reads over

musical theater piece to m

sure he has all of the w

down.

10:08 - Dave uses the b

room again.

10:09 - Dave, Jason Van

Hoven, Tim Gavronski and J

Binzak practice their group

inside the doors by the boys b

room. It echoes throughou

small room and sounds fanta

10:15 - I leave to go tailga

for the boys' basketball g

against Little Chute at Oshk

North. Dave still has to per

“Prayer of the Children” with

quartet, his musical theater p

his duet with Jason and

Hawkswing performance.

3:36 - I give Dave a call to

out his results. He informs

that he qualified for state with

of his nine songs.

Non-singing reporter spends day at solo and ensemble

Jason Van Dyn Hoven, Dave Kirkpatrick, RobynGalloway and Brittany Tomasi perform a song.

“I'm going to Ireland.” “Cruzin' Darboy Ave. andlooking for some hun-nies.”

“Emily [Maxwell] and I aregoing on the art trip toEurope.”

“I’m staying in LittleChute...!”

“I would be going to NorthCarolina….but baseball ismessin' up my schedule.”

Some fun, some humdrum for spring break planMr. Dan Riordan Rac hel Her m usJon Mor t onAlex GigotA lyssa Mumford

Editor:

Stacey Wilson

Copy Editor:

Caitlin Weber

Advisor:

Mrs. Laura Biskupic

Outside Contributers:

ACe Clouthier, Chris Hansen,Caitlin Weber

Artwork courtesy of:

Scott Fleming

Staff Writers:

Ashley Beck, Steven Boldt,Heidi Brittnacher, AdamDeCock,Jennifer Droese, MariaGuzman,Madison Heid, Caitlin O’Leary,Thomas Pranica, Lindsey

Reinhalter,Lenka Rohalova, Alex SuprisKelly Szadziewicz, Ben WellsStacey Wilson,Katie Worzalla

Prospect or St a f f



F e a t u r e sPep band enjoys extended basketball season

By Cait l in Weber With the boys and girls basket-

ball teams both advancing to sec-tionals, the pep band has had a

busier year than usual.

According to Band Director

Mr. Kevin Peters, the pep band

played at nine girls' games and 10

boys' games this year. Normally,

they only have to play at six girls'

games and six boys' games.

"This year was much busier

than normal," said Mr. Peters.

"We have been fortunate to have

several successful sports teams

which adds games for us to play."

Senior pep band member

Heath May has been in pep band

for three years, and he said this

year was clearly the most chaotic.Sophomore, junior and senior

band students are required to be

in pep band and need a note from

their parents that is approved by

Mr. Peters if they must miss a

game. Participating athletes are

excused.

"This year, pep band was

directly linked to each band stu-

dent's grade in the class, so every

game was a bigger commitment

than in previous years," said May.

"Also for me, since I was the only

person who played my instru-

ment (electric bass), it wasimportant for me this year."

Mr. Peters said he likes to learn

new music each year, but the

favorites of Xavier never leave.

After all, no one wants to

miss out on hearing "Hey

Baby!"

"The thing that

is most difficult

for students isto play for a

game they have

to be here

early and

stay until at

least half-

time. Formany stu-

dents these

n i g h t s

become long

as they don't

have much

time to do homework before

games and that only leaves the

hours after a game to get work

done," said Mr. Peters. "I have

been told by many that they have

to stay up late to get their work

done. I try to have no more than

two band commitments in a

week, but sometimes the way theschedule works, it is unavoid-

able."

One major scheduling hurdle

this year was the state solo and

ensemble festival, which Xavier

hosted. It took place the

first Saturday

of March-

with games on

T u e s d a y ,

Thursday andSaturday of that week.

Mr. Peters said, "I was try-

ing to manage a festival of

over 1000 students, while

at the same time waiting

to see if a basketball teamwon or not so I could order a bus,

and let my students know if we

were going to play."

May competed in eight solo &

ensemble events that day and

said that he was "music'd out" by

5 p.m. that Saturday.

Sophomore Joy Willenbrink

also participated in solo and

ensemble, but said it was nice to

be able to go to the game after a

stressful day.

Although pep band is a big

time commitment, it pays off.

During the basketball games,many have said that it adds

excitement and energy to the

games.

"You can never beat live music

at an athletic event. Not only is

the music great, but by adding 60

students at the baseline the gym

is going to look more crowded

and intimidating to opposing

teams," said Mr. Peters. "I take

pride in having the best pep bandin the valley!"

Senior varsity basketball play-

er Lee Weiland said he loves hav-

ing the pep band at games.

"When the pep band is there, we

get off to a better start. We havemore adrenaline going and more

excitement toward the game. It

gives a lot of energy to the play-

ers and fans."

Weiland said the Xavier pep

band is much better than having

recorded music playing. "The

pep band is so loud and gets play-

ers pumped up for the game. It

(recorded music) doesn't com-

pare to Xavier pep band," he said.

By Kel ly Szadziew iczSince its introduction to the

public in the late 1700s, soda has

been the drink of choice for many

people. However, every time

someone pops the tab of a car-

bonated beverage, the individual

puts his or her body at risk.

"I think a lot of people are con-

suming a lot of soda and it's very

unhealthy because people are

drinking less water," senior Dee

Danford said.

One result of this Americandependence on sweet drinks has

been a constantly rising obesity

rate. Although soda isn't the only

culprit to blame for the expansionof the median waistband size, it is

a great contributor. Recent

Harvard research shows that for

each additional serving of soft

drink, the risk of human obesity

increases 1.6 times.

As an attempt to prevent rapid

weight gain but still enjoy the

sugary drink, many people are

turning to diet beverages.

However, sodas that replace

sugar with artificial sweeteners

such as NutraSweet and Equal

put consumers at a considerablyhigher risk of health problems

than the regular genre of sodas.

Artificial sweeteners contain a

substance known as aspartame.

According to scientific research,

aspartame can cause over 92

health crises, such as brain

tumors, diabetes, emotional dis-

orders, and epilepsy. In some

cases, diet soda also contains a

larger amount of caffeine than

regular soda. Diet Coke has 42

milligrams of caffeine, whileCoke Classic contains just 35

milligrams.

"Diet soda has no calories and

would not necessarily help youlose weight unless you exercised

and ate fewer food calories in

addition to drinking diet sodas,"

said Badger Elementary's school

nurse Peggy Carew. "Diet soda in

and of itself will not help you

lose weight."

If diet soda cannot be coaxed

from its consumers' hands, it

must be kept chilled. When the

aspartame found in artificial

sweeteners is kept in very warm

areas, it changes to methanol,

which is a type of alcohol thatcan cause cancer.

Substances commonly found in

sodas such as phosphorus and

acid also can interfere with bone

and tooth development. Animal

studies show that phosphorus

depletes bones of calcium.

Another ingredient in soda, phos-

phoric acid, can "begin to dis-

solve tooth enamel in only 20

minutes," according to an Ohio

Dental Association press release.

Additionally, drinking soda

before exercise is not a good

idea.

"Soda contains carbonation

which can damage the liver.

Caffeinated beverages also suc-

cessfully dehydrate the body," anAffinity NurseDirect nurse said.

Sophomore Alex Baranowski

noted the health risks of soda and

successfully abstained from it.

"I gave up soda for a year

because it's really unhealthy and

bad for your teeth," she said.

In addition to "teaching her

that she can reach the goals she

sets for herself," the year-long

vacation from soda has lessened

her craving for it.

"I generally have one a week,"

Baranowski said. "Now I drink more water."

Soda is not completely bad,

however, and caffeinated bever-ages can be used for medicinal

purposes such as the relieving of

headaches. Caffeine, originating

from kola nuts, is one of the main

ingredients of Excedrin

Migraine, a headache medicine.

"Caffeine is a stimulant and it

causes vessel dilation and causes

the blood to go through the ves-

sels more readily. In effect, it

helps relieve the headache," Mrs.

Carew said.

Senior Scott Fleming drinks a soda.

More students pop sodas, fizzle healthy diet attempts

Peruvians

enjoy stayBy Lenka RohalovaSnow captivated a visi

group of Peruvian exchange

dents and their teachers.

"I have never met any pe

who didn't see snow before,"

junior Marta Uzulniece, who

observing the group of stud

coming from Peru.

Ten students and two teaccame to the U.S. to try ano

kind of weather, to see ano

country and improve t

English.

"I was here two years be

and I was excited to come a

and see how things h

changed," said one of the te

ers, Sr. Giancarlo Castelo.

All of the students, inclu

teachers, stayed with host f

lies from Xavier.

"I enjoyed having a for

exchange student," said ju

Rachel Pollen, who hoClaudia Lucia Palacios Angu

Most of the Peruvians l

their host families. "My fa

showed me a lot of things a

really appreciate that,"

Palacios Angulo.

"The people I stayed with w

very nice," said one of the te

ers, Sra. Beatriz Cantreras,

enjoyed staying in the U.S.

According to the Peruvians

US and Peru are totally diffe

countries. The most interes

experience for most of

Peruvians involved snow."I saw the Peruvians the o

day standing beside the winand looking outside while it

snowing," said Uzulniece. "T

reminded me of small kids;

were so excited that some of t

even jumped. Then they w

outside, but they looked a l

scared when snow touched

skin. It was probably too cold

them."

Besides skiing, which

really enjoyed, they have do

lot of other things with their

families. Some of them even

ited Chicago.

Marc h 2006 Page



By Adam DeCockWhether it's on the football

field, the basketball court or the

baseball diamond, Xavier's Kevin

Rohrer and Little Chute's KurtSchommer have been rivals and

friends.

Ever since sixth grade, Rohrer

and Schommer have been going

up against each other. Though

they play for rival schools, the

two stars of their teams remain

friendly off the court.

"Yes, [we're rivals], but we're

very good friends. We've played

together and against each other

since the sixth grade," said

Rohrer.

According to Schommer, the

two athletes have built a relation-

ship based on mutual respect over

the years.

"We're rivals on the court, but

off the court, no. He's a great ath-

lete," he said.

Even though they wear differ-

ent uniforms, Rohrer says the

competition is not all about them.

"I think it's more of a rivalry

between schools and not Kurt and

I," he said.

The Xavier - Little Chute rival-

ry has been far from boring the

past couple of years. "Every year,

the schools are at the top of the

conference. It's really exciting,"said Schommer.

Prior to the Hawks' 51-45 vic-

tory over Little Chute in the bas-

ketball regional final on March 4,

Little Chute won the past three

games, each by three points.

Rohrer said he enjoyed gettingover the hurdle, and beating

Little Chute. "It felt good. They

[two conference losses] were two

tough losses, which they unfortu-

nately came out on top. It felt

good to win the regional champi-

onship, and move onto section-

als."

Schommer felt the sting of

defeat as his team couldn't

"sweep" Xavier, and beat them

three times in the season. "It felt

good to beat them twice. It's hard

to beat a team three times. They

shot the ball well, we didn't.

They came with enthusiasm.

They played Ripon really well,"

he said.

The rivalry between

Schommer and Rohrer has

moved beyond the boundaries of

the basketball court. Rohrer and

Schommer are both starting quar-

terbacks of their varsity football

team. Rohrer thinks that they are

competitive in all sports. "I'm

competitive in both sports,

because both of us don't like to

lose, whoever we're playing. We

want to give it our best and win,"

he said. Schommer thinks bas-ketball is the bigger of the two.

"Basketball is my favorite sport.

I think it's Kevin's too," he said.

Xavier head basketball coach

Tom Neises said he really

enjoyed coaching Rohrer the past

two seasons.

"Kevin was an outstanding guy

to coach. He was a great team

leader, and role model, on and off

the court. He was a talented play-

er that came through for us in the

clutch a lot this season. I can't

think of a day he missed practice.

He was fun to coach," he said.

Twice this season, once in the

regular season finale against

Waupaca, and again in the sec-

tional semifinal against Ripon,Rohrer hit big shots.

Against Waupaca, Xavier bat-

tled back from a 12-point deficit.

The Hawks, who had the ball

with 1:00 left on the clock

and the score tied, opted

to try to run out the clock,and get a last-second shot

to win the game.

Rohrer drove the lane

and made a heavily con-

tested lay up with only 6.5

seconds remaining, to

give the Hawks a two

point lead. Xavier went

on to win the game 49-45,

and share the conference

title with Little Chute.

Rohrer also came

through in the clutch for

the Hawks against Ripon

in the sectional semifinal in

the Brown County Arena

when he sank a game-tying three-

pointer in the final seconds of the

game.

Little Chute Head Coach

Mickey Martin also has enjoyed

the success of his team, led by

Schommer.

"It's been great coaching Kurt

the past two seasons. He has

worked hard on his game trying

to get better everyday. He stays

after practice working on his shot

and needs to be kicked out of the

gym so the rest of us can go

home."This year has been a tough year

to prepare for, especially wit

way the Xavier - Little C

rivalry has added to the com

tion of trying to win confere

"As a coach I try to prepare

this game [Xavier - Little Chas I do any other. Certainly

year it's been a little diffe

because both teams were bat

for the conference crown and

added to the mix," said C

Martin.

Coach Neises came to

game with the same approac

don't handle a Xavier - L

Chute game any different.

course the first two were to cl

the conference. Every gam

important. If you lose a g

like that, the other ones

matter," he said.

Each coach said he enj

watching the rivalry unfold

had different opinions a

players "stepping up" for

occasion. "Kevin was consi

in his level of play," said C

Neises.

Coach Martin, on the o

hand, felt both players ste

up their level of play when

faced each other.

"I don't think there's any q

tion about it. The fact that t

two have been playing ag

each other for many years i

sorts of venues just adds to itsaid.

S p o r t sMarch 20

Rivals earn mutual respect through six years, three sport

Xavier’s Kevin Rohrer battles LittleChute’s Kurt Schommer for the ball.

Photo by Mark Schaefer

By Steven BoldtImagine rushing down a moun-

tain at 40 mph, and then doing it

over and over again all day long.

One of the few ways to get this

rush is snowboarding, a very

popular sport that is taking the

world by storm. "I really love

snowboarding. It's one of the few

ways to get a feeling of weight-

lessness while still here on

earth," said sophomore Mike

Cupp.

Snowboarding, once consid-

ered a sport that only appealed to

"punks", was not allowed at

many ski resorts across the coun-

try. "Snowboarding in the 80's

was like Rock n' Roll in the 50's,

no one was really sure where it

was going but it had a strong fol-

lowing," said snowboarding leg-

end Stacey Peralta in the snow-

boarding documentary "First

Descent."

The three different major kinds

of snowboarding include Alpine,

Freestyle and Boardercross.

Alpine snowboarding, the most

common type of snowboarding,

involves carving, or making

large turns, and using the

whole face of the moun-

tain. "Freestyle is really

fun because there's

always different

terrain to go over,

and you are

always trying

new tricks and

cool stuff like

that. I also

really like watch-

ing Boardercross

because it's very

intense," said

s o p h o m o r e

Justin Panich.

Boardercross, the newest type of

snowboarding, is when groups of

riders go down a very narrow run

that is filled with obstacles like

jumps, berms, and drops.

Whoever gets to the bottom first

wins.

Snowboarding popular-

ity has grown in large

amounts in recent

years because of its

addition into a

major competi-

tion, the

O l y m p i c s .

Sn o wb o a r d i n g

was added to the

Olympics in 1998 and

has now become one of

the most popular events

to watch. The two types

of snowboarding in the

Olympics are the snow-

boarding Halfpipe and

Boardercross. "I really

f o l l o w e d

Snowboarding in the Olympics a

lot this year. It was really cool to

see the U.S. do so well," said

sophomore Nate Zipple.

Another major competition is

the X-Games, short for the

Extreme Games. This competi-

tion includes Halfpipe and

Boardercross and Slopestyle.

"Slopestyle is my favorite event

because you have to have a lot of

skills, from jumps, to rails, to

boxes. It's really fun to watch,"

said sophomore Jon Meiers.

Slopestyle is a competition where

riders go over many jumps and

jibs, rails and boxes, and perform

tricks. The rider with the most

technical and difficult run wins.

Athletes find their snowboard-

ing equipment at specialty shops,

such as Mountain Bay in

Appleton. "We can size you and

help you pick out your equip-

ment. We also have a full size

rental shop where you can test

out equipment before you buy,"said Sales Manager Adam

Schmidt.

Once decked out in gear, par-

ticipants need to get to a

"Unfortunately we don't h

many places near Appleton t

snowboarding, but one of

favorites is Indianhead in the

They have a stellar terrain

and other runs," said junior

Noll. "In the UP there a

plethora of places to ride.

really nice because there's alw

a new hill to go to," said Mei

Snowboarding may seem

it is only a winter sport; howe

that is not the whole truth.

true that here in Wisconsin

Michigan it is only a wi

sport, but if you are willin

travel a little bit you can sn

board all year at Whi

Mountain in British Colum

"A year or two ago I was ab

go up to Whistler during the s

mer for a snowboard camp

was really cool because I snowboarding during the s

mer on a glacier," said fresh

Nick Acosta.

Snowboarders enjoy rush of new craze in extreme sports



By Stacey Wi lsonThere is a certain longing in

senior athletes’ eyes, a view of lost days when the crowds were

large, the noise level high and the

game intense.

Their eyes flash back to sum-

mer days spent sweating in gyms,

winter nights spent shooting

around and 6 a.m. practices. But,

after their last game, few athletes

would regret one moment of a

grueling practice. Ask any one of

the boys' basketball team mem-

bers who, after a thrilling come-

back, suffered a 60-56 overtimeloss to Ripon in the second game

of the WIAA Division 2

Sectional tournament semi-finals

on March 9.

"Making it to sectionals was

awesome," said senior starter

Kevin Rohrer. "All of us wanted

a shot at Seymour because

they're the perennial powerhouse

in Division II. They've made it to

state seven years in a row, so I

think we all would have liked a

chance to play them and see what

we could do."

Although the team made a ter-

rific comeback and brought the

game to overtime, it wasn't quite

enough. The players say they'resaddened by their loss, but

remain excited about their sea-

son.

“We had a real good year so I

think there is more than one

moment," head coach Tom

Neises said. "How well weplayed against the Milwaukee

schools this year was really good

because we played so poorly

against them last year. The con-

ference championship, winning

that at Waupaca, that's something

we really wanted bad and we had

to overcome a lot to do that.

And, of course, being able to play

in the Brown County Arena prob-

ably caps it off. We had a really

fun year. I really enjoyed the year

and I was sad it came to an end a

little bit too soon, but we had a

lot of great memories. I think the

memories the players and I will

take with us for a long time."

For most of the players, the trip

to sectionals started years ago

when they first picked up a bas-

ketball.

"I love basketball so I've never

regretted any decisions I've made

as to working hard or practices oranything like that because to me

it's always been fun," said

Rohrer. "A lot of us have played

basketball together since sixth

grade or before that so it's kind of

a collective hard working

because we've all been togetherso long and, this being our senior

year, made everyone work that

much harder to make it memo-

rable."

The team, which included

eight seniors, even gained some

players who had stopped playing

basketball, but felt the need to

come back to the game.

Stas Miaskowski was one of

the "senior rookies."

"Well, I knew the guys needed

a couple of big guys to back up

Scottie so they convinced me and

they accepted me back on the

team," he said. "It turned out to

be really fun and I'm not going to

regret it ever."

The seniors understand the

importance of the final season

better than anybody does. They

say they are just starting to com-

prehend that making all the sacri-

fices was worth it for the game.Senior starter Scott Fleming

said, "Two hours or sometimes

more every night, put school on

the back burner, but it's been

worth it because you can only

play basketball once."

Despite being plagued withinjuries senior starter A.C.

Clouthier knew that he had to

play this year.

"I looked at it as, I'm not going

to need my body parts for this

kind of use in the future. I'm not

going to need them in the athlet-

ic work, so as long as I have them

I am going to use them to per-

form and help a team. It's now or

never," said Clouthier.

The underclassmen felt this

love and knowledge the eight

seniors had for the game and they

respected them for it.

Sophomore Sam Schaefer said,

"The best part was learning from

the senior class. They taught me

so much about the game. I was

very blessed to be taken under

their wing. Tim really guided me

through. If I didn't know a play

something like that he rea

guided me through. I am vthankful for them. I learned

much from them and I'm goin

miss them a lot."

The underclassmen say t

are sad to see the seniors go,

they know they have learned a

from them and are ready to shtheir newfound knowledge.

Junior Matt Scheske said, "

shouldn't be overlooked n

year because I think that we h

a lot of guys returning and

just have to work hard next ye

It's a long summer and we hav

lot of young talent and we'll h

to work hard to develop that

ent."

Meanwhile, for the eight a

letes who've played their

high school basketball ga

memories remain.

Rohrer said, "I'm going to m

the games the most. Playing

Xavier and just playing in gen

al it is just very fun to me and

miss that the most."

S p o r t sPageMarch 2006

Love for the game courts most senior athletes

From Page 1

allow for three practices to be

held during one time slot. Andsince freshman and junior varsi-

ty games will take place at the

same time, an entire practice for

another team potentially can be

held before the games begin.

"Currently we rent gym space

for practice," said Mrs. Bates.

"We will no longer have to do

that."

The extra room also will

prove useful for physical educa-

tion classes along with school

functions such as the annual

Xavier Food Fair and

Grandparents' Day.

Construction already has

begun on the new gym as thecrew is currently in the processof cleaning out the ground and

creating a foundation. Mr.

Biesterveld said he estimates

that the gym will be ready for

use before next school year.

"We can't thank the donors

enough for their generosity,"

said Mr. Reynebeau.

"I'm really looking forward to

having another gym," said Mrs.

Bates. "It will put us in the 21st

century.”

New gym State ChampFrom Page 1

because it shows it's for girtoo. Seeing Amanda win ma

spark interest for other girls t

join the team. Amanda is so

what of a pioneer in girls pow

lifting at Xavier," said Xavie

athletic director Matt Prill.

McNelly said she is very

proud of Amanda, as she is th

one who got her started in polifting in the first place.

"I think she deserves it

because she has worked

extremely hard. I also think

amazing that she won with ju

her opening lifts," said McNe

Even though the amount sh

lifted for the win seems like to many people, Brenneman

thinks she could have done b

ter.

"I was having an off-lifting

day because I sat in the sauna

before I went out to lift. I w

lifting a lot lighter than I real

could have," she said.

Brenneman's achievements

powerlifting have shed a new

light on women lifting weigh

She is setting an example for

other female powerlifters, an

the first state winner at Xavie

By ACe Clouthier

The 2005-2006 girls' basket-ball players overcame several

obstacles this season as they

fought their way to a WIAADivision II Regional

Championship.

The first struggle came as a

result of an injury to junior

Rachel Hermus. Hermus, a team

leader, suffered a season-ending

knee injury early on as the

Hawks limped to a fourth place

finish in the Valley 9 conference

with an 8-6 record.

"Our record was deceiving,

because we had a lot of close

games and games where we had

lapses," said senior captainKristen Wilson.

However, their 11-9 overall

record was good enough to earn

the team a No. 3 seed in the

WIAA tournament.

At this point, the Hawks

began to rise, soaring at the right

time of the year. They won their

last seven out of nine games and

finished with an overall record

of 15-10, gaining ownership of

the regional championship and

sectional runner-up trophies.

Wilson said making section-

als was a big step for the pro-gram, while senior captain Kate

Kessenich enjoyed the tourna-

ment because it gave them one

last chance to show they could

compete with any team.

" I t

gave us

a n

opportu-

nity tos h o w

how far

we have

c o m e

and I'm

r e a l l y

proud of how much

our team

grew from the beginning of the

season," Kessenich said.

Coach Dan Riordan described

the team in one word: dedicated.

They faced the odds and pre-

vailed, he said, especially the

seniors..

"They helped to raise the bar

in terms of the expectations of

our program," he said.

Junior Maggie Burkart said

she was really pleased with the

growth of the team and program

and gave much of the credit forthat to the seniors.

"The seniors displayed good

leadership and a constant stride

to keep everyone going," she

said. One thing Burkart looks

forward to next season, besides

just getting out to play, is that

she is going to be a senior. She

said it will be her grade's turn to

step up in the leadership role.Mr. Riordan said he's looking

forward to next year as well.

"We have a talented group of

underclassmen that have the

potential to build upon the suc-

cess we experienced this sea-

son," he said.Still, as this season ended,

players agreed there were things

they will miss.

Even though Kessenich said

she will never miss having to

run sprints again, she does agree

with Wilson about the friend-

ships they will miss, and only

has one bit of advice to give.

"Be supportive of your team-

mates and enjoy the experience

because it will be gone in a

moment," she said.

Rally earns girls regional crown

Kristen Wilson playsdefense.



Opinion Marc h 20

March Madness takes over Xavier community

Root for spring teams

March Madness is no longer

just a term describing college

basketball. It also applies to high

school students, especially

Xavier students.

Between the winter sports

playoffs starting and ending, solo

and ensemble, finals nearing and

the school year winding down

there is more than enough mad-

ness to keep students occupied.

With all the fantastic opportu-

nities offered to Xavier students,

it is hard to overlook the drive for

excellence.

It is no longer enough that we

play in sports, it is also required

that teams spend hours practicing

in and out of season. Xavier

teams are expected to win and

win often.

It is no longer enough to partic-

ipate in pep and marching band,

we must also compete in solo and

ensemble, log hours in and out of

school and qualify for the state

competition.

And it is no longer enough to

take challenging classes. We

must fill our schedule with inde-

pendent studies and AP courses,

and pass the AP so we can have a

head start for college.

Although these opportunities

are only made to aid students,

after awhile the pressure begins

to build up.

When is it okay to say enough

is enough? I have too much to do

and I need a break.

When sporting events, school,

social events and extra curricular

activities build up, young adults

should take the time to reintro-

duce themselves to their families.

We at The Prospector urge

everyone to take some time to

themselves. Students need to

understand the intent of the

opportunities in which they par-

ticipate.

If students are not sleeping, eat

ing right or exercising, how can

they stay healthy and succeed?

We implore students to take care

of themselves.

Students need to make sure that

they are sleeping enough. Take

the extra five minutes in the

morning to eat breakfast. They

should make sure they not only

exercise their minds, but k

their bodies in shape as well.

Find a balance between al

activities.

If students desire good A

scores, college acceptance a

successful job, they prob

need to maintain the hectic

school lifestyle.

Here at this college prep sc

students just have to get use

the idea of being busy and s

ing on task.

We might as well tough it

and enjoy the March Madnes

Editorial

By Ben Wel lsWhen the football and basket-

ball teams have hung up their

cleats and sneakers, a new group

of teams begins to play.

These athletes go unnoticed

and unrecognized by most of

their peers. The spring season

seems to be an “off-season" for

Xavier fans.

At any basketball game there

might be 225-300 students, and

football games draw approxi-

mately 175-225 students. Most

teams seem to thrive off fans and

some even perform at a higher

level with a good crowd.Football and basketball games,

the “fan" sports, draw hundreds

of fans per game. But, a track

meet may only get 25 students at

a home meet in nice weather, and

that's stretching it. Moreover a

tennis match brings in a loweramount of students than a track

meet and golf has an even lower

attendance than tennis. There are

more opportunities to attend

games and meets in the spring but

fewer people attending.

We probably have more people

show up to bowling club every

week than we will have at any

girls’ soccer game this season.

Baseball is the biggest draw of

the spring with 50-60 spectators

and that is not much.

Xavier has one of the top

crowds in the conference but for

some odd reason our crowd does-

n't really want to support spring

sports. Some of this lack of fan

interest can be attributed to the

scheduling. In the same way the

smaller fall sports, like cross

country, volleyball, and soccer,

overlap each other, spring sports

do as well. Soccer practices when

baseball plays and tennis prac-tices when track has a meet,

which takes a lot of possible fans

away.

What needs to happen is a

reform in scheduling. With a fix

in the scheduling of events, we

can support our classmates. Iwould love to support the base-

ball team or the tennis team. We

need to start making announce-

ments, just as we did for other

sports. We need to get people out

there and show our spring sports

that we do respect their athletic

achievements.

By Mar ia GuzmanI wasn't expecting to have a

weekend full of partying and

fun, and I couldn't even say thatI wanted the weekend to come to

pass at all.

Intense sums up the whole

mock trial state weekend pretty

well. Practicing, performing, or

anticipating filled almost every

moment. I told Mrs. Jones that

all she had to do was say the

word if she didn't want us to

advance, and I could make that

happen. Well, Sunday was

stressful and a carefree Monday

on State Street never came.

On Sunday, pacing relieved

my nerves the best. I only per-

formed once that day (thankful-

ly), and I can't say that I remem-

ber much about it. Right before

hand, sitting in the chair next to

my fellow witnesses, my main

worry was actually that I could-

n't stop yawning. After that,

everything was a blur. I can't

recall many details, except the

times when I grew more and

more angry and frustrated every

time we lost an objection, which

seemed far too often.

That's partly why I was so

shocked when our names wereannounced along with

Rhinelander's as the top two

teams. We all jumped up,

hugged each other, and immedi-

ately made phone calls to par-

ents in those few moments of

happiness. I remember sitting at

the banquet before the names

were called with all of these

mixed feelings. I was telling

myself that we wouldn't make it,

partially because I wanted to,

plus I didn't want to get my

hopes up. Also in the back of my head was the thought that we

had it. But I also just wanted to

go to a balcony party that night,

so third wouldn't be too bad. It

had already been a fun experi-

ence at the banquet getting to eat

with the man that helps to write

the cases for mock trial.

But then it hit me. Tomorrow

I would have to compete against

Rhinelander in front of the

Supreme Court Justices. The

coaches also informed us that

the Justices tend to be crabby

and aren't the most forgiving.

Knowing all of that, having peo-

ple tell you "Just don't mess up,"

plus being sleep deprived, didnot equal anything beneficial.

From that time on, whenever

someone mentioned the word

"Supreme Court Justice" my

stomach flipped.

That feeling continued into

Monday morning. We had toleave in about an hour and my

new direct was barely written,

let alone memorized. No one

else seemed to be too worried.

Thankfully Emily Lonergan

helped me out and continued to

question me as we sat in the

hotel weight room and then

made our way to the state capital

across the street.

I had visited the capital

before, but today it looked com-

pletely new. As I walked

through the revolving doofelt like I shrank in size bec

of the enormity of the build

The sound of a booming orc

tra filled every inch of

ornately decorated build

echoing the anxiety I was f

ing.

But then, I started to get ex

ed. I was even just a little h

when I heard a girl f

Rhinelander was crying from

pressure. After about

months of practicing hard (

most of the time, between ga

of pool and ping-pong), ev

thing came down to this day

had a very cohesive team,

we were ready. The room it

the trial, and the Justices w

not quite as intimidating

expected. We came in

underdogs that everyone

pulling for, we all performed

best ever, and yet we still r

ized it would be close.

After the Justices came b

from recess, I realized I rewanted to win. We got this

so why end now? When

xavier" was announced as

ner-up I didn't know what to

The worst part was going

shaking the Justices hands having them give congra

tions. I would have apprec

an apology more.

Although we didn't have an

excessive amount of fun, or

take first, performing in fron

the Supreme Court Justices

and of itself was a pretty dec

accomplishment for the team

Oh well, nationals were in

Oklahoma City, and how mu

fun could that have really be

anyway?

Writer finds state experience intens

We at The Prospector value our class-

mates’opinions, and welcome letters to the

editor. We do, however, reserve the right to

modify letters for space. Please keep them

under 200 words. All letters to the editor

must be signed when submitted. With

administrative approval, though, letters

may be published anonymously.

“The sound of a booming

orchestra filled every inch of the

ornately decorated building,

echoing the anxiety I was feel-

ing.”

ThinkingCap

ThinkingCap

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