The Chancellor
Thomas More Prep-Marian High School Hays, KS
March for Life impacts students Bailey Rome ‘15 On January 25th 2013, the 40th annual March for Life was held in Washington D.C. March for Life is “The gathering of hundreds of thousands of people, to stand up against abortion.” said Mrs. Schuler. The March was held at a large grassy area called, The Mall, by the Smithsonian Museums. From there 500,000-600,000 people marched up to the front of the Supreme Court building. The Supreme Court building is where the Roe vs Wade law was passed 40 years ago. Lucas Stouffer ‘16 commented on the memorable parts of the March, “Well the worst was being in the cold, but when I saw all of these people coming to the same place I was at, to fight against abortion just like me, that was amazing.” Matea Gregg ‘15 said, “During the rally I really liked hearing all the different speakers and how they were telling us to always support life no matter the circumstance. SAVE THE BABIES!” Altogether we should all stand up to end abortion, because every human disserves a chance at one thing, LIFE.
February 2013 VOL. 43, Issue 3
Sweetheart Candidates
Candidates for Sweetheart King and Queen included: Garrett Stoecklein, Nick Dopita, Kade Megaffin, Carlos Duenes, Zach Schmidtberger, Maria Marcotte, Ashley Springer, Hannah Dreiling, Andie Marsell, and Chloe Zimmerman. Megaffin and Marsell were crowned King and Queen at the Sweetheart Dance held February 16.
Student Council Hosts Catholic Schools Week Inspires On-Campus Lock-In and Bonds Students, K-12 Cody Kreutzer ‘15 For the first time in many years, TMP hosted a school-wide lock in for its student body. The lock-in was held on January 6th and 7th. The night started off with two games of assassin, followed by pizza and pop. Once everyone was done eating, there was an obstacle course which was spread throughout all four floors of the school. After the obstacle course, a snow ball fight took place followed by a game of toe tag.
Following toe tag were games of dodge ball, pick-up basketball, and a Nerf gun war. Throughout the night games of Catch Phrase and poker were played. Student Council President Ross Werth said he thought that the lockin went very well. “Most everyone stayed up all night; everyone seemed to have a good time. I know I did, and we were all exhausted for the rest of the week, so mission accomplished,” commented Werth.
Above: Matt Mindrup ‘15 answers a question correctly in the Bible Bowl Finals and teammate Tanner Unrein ‘13 celebrates. The team went on to win the competition, winning a Taco Shop lunch later in the week. Right: Mr. Montgomery leads his team, including Emily Staab ‘14 in a huddle cheer prior to the Semi-Finals of the Bible Bowl. Montgomery’s team lost in the Semi-Finals to Mrs. Judy Schuler’s team.
Jena Ernsting ‘14 Much planning and preparation from the Leadership and Spirituality class made the 2013 Catholic School’s (CSW) week a new and exciting week for the TMP-Marian student body. Led by the seniors in the class, Emily Leiker, Zach Schimdtberger, Chelsea Zimmerman, Andie Marsell, Taylor Staab, and Adam Mack, students began thinking of creative dress days and the Bible Bee game at the beginning of the spring semester. While thinking of dress down days, the students made names that pertained to CSW. The week started off with a home run when students were able to dress in their favorite team gear for “Jesus is a Team Player” day. Tuesday students were encouraged to dress as their favorite superhero for “Jesus is the Ultimate Superhero” day. Along with having the opportunity to dress down, students were treated to desserts at lunch made by the faculty for student appreciation day. Wednesday was “Geek out for God” day, and students were sug-
gested to dress up in their geekiest outfits for the teachers. On this day teachers also received gifts from STUCO. On Thursday students opted to wear formal, black tie attire for “Suit up for God” day. The Junior High students took time out of their day to write thank you notes to parents that help with lunch and other activities. For senior, Emily Leiker, CSW made a larger impact on her than previous years. “ C a t h o l i c School’s Week was a much bigger deal this year than it has been in the past, and I felt like there was more celebration this year because of Hays having a Kindergarten through 12th grade Catholic School’s system,” said Leiker when asked how CSW impacted her this year. Other events included in the celebration this year included the Bible Bee and mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary church. The Bible Bee was planned by the Leadership and Spirituality class and included six rounds. All the high school and junior high students were mixed and placed in
groups with sponsoring teachers. The group who won was placed with Mrs. Judy Schuler, the freshmen and junior religion teacher. Friday mass with all the Catholic School students in Hays, was presided over by the Salina Dioceses new bishop, Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger, who began his Catholic education in Hays at St. Joseph’s Elementary School. Bishop Weisenburger included in his homily, beginning his Catholic education in Hays and spoke with enthusiasm about farming. He explained that when speaking to a farmer about farming the farmer told him, “Tending the soil and planting the seed is all the farmer has to do at the beginning and after that, the rest is up to God.” The remainder of the day was spent at TMP where the junior high and high school students had the opportunity to spend time with the elementary students. All enjoyed eating lunch and playing Pictionary, getting a preview of the TMP Singers annual Dinner Show, and playing games with each other.
Page 2
Faith &Opinion
Twitter #getittogether
Apps for the Soul
Cody Schmidtberger ‘14 When you hear the term “app,” what is the first thing that pops into your head? Apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are just a few of the top free apps offered by Android’s Google Play and Apple’s App Store. But among the endless lists of apps that entertain your mind, are there any apps that help strengthen you in your faith? The following are some excellent Catholic Apps that you can get for your mobile device: Laudate – Laudate contains a plethora of features that range from Daily Mass Readings to the Saint of the Day to the New American Bible. Rating – 4.7 out of 5 stars
Catholic Prayers – As the name implies, this app specializes in prayer. It has hundreds of Catholic prayers separated into categories and can even read the prayer to you! Rating – 4.8 out of 5 stars
Catholic Droid – This app contains translations of the Bible into many languages, an examination of conscience for confession, the Rosary, the Commandments, and Prayers. Rating – 4.7 out of 5 stars
iMissal – iMissal is an app that gives you access to Mass readings for any day of the year. iMissal has even been granted an official Imprimatur from the Catholic Church and is approved for use! Rating – 4.7 out of 5 stars
Catholic Bible – This app contains 73 books of the Holy Catholic Bible, daily mass readings, more than 1000 prayers, and much more. Rating – 4.6 out of 5 stars
Jena Ernsting ‘14
It seems that everyone has a Twitter account, from your best friend to even the Pope. If you have Twitter, you know that there is a Twitter account for everything. Some examples include @Pontifix for the serious Catholic stuff, “We must trust in the mighty power of God’s mercy. We are all sinners, but His grace transforms us and makes us new,” which was tweeted on February 10th. @prepschoolprobs includes the sassy, rich, and spoiled prepsters who make everyone else feel poor and belittled. Or if you feel the need to read what your peers feel about your own school, you can follow @TmpProbz. I will let you decide whether to risk your reputation following this one. Why do many high schoolers tweet and post such inap-
On a cold January day, the newspaper staff took a little trip to our local Applebee’s to check out the fare. Overall, it was a great experience. The service was quick and friendly, and we were able to enjoy our experience as well as get back to school within the time frame of 4th hour. The lunch specials provided a great variety of food at reasonable prices. The only better deal might be half-price apps. Here is what staff members had to say about their personal choices: Jena Ernsting ‘14 - “I enjoyed the Oriental Chicken Salad with the original dressing. With the salad, I also devoured the chicken taco soup. It was a filling and delightful lunch.” Cody Schmidtberger ‘14 - “I ordered the chicken fried steak with fries and a Dr. Pepper. It was a fantastic meal, and it will definitely be ordered again.” Drew Kingsbury - ‘15 “I got the chicken wonton tacos which were very good, but the fork I had received had food on it still. If I had to rate my experience, it would be a 3.5 out of 5.” Bailey Rome - ‘15 “I had the Fiesta Lime Chicken. It was very good, and I would recommend it to anyone.” Lexie Wasinger - ‘15 “I had the Oriental Grilled Chicken Salad. It was very good and the restaurant handled my special dietary needs especially well.”
Chancellor Staff Publisher
Mr. Bill DeWitt ‘92
Advisor
Mrs. Heather Sramek
Editor-in-Chief Jena Ernsting ‘14
Reporters
Adam Flax ‘15 Drew Kingsbury ‘15 Cody Kreutzer ‘15 Matt Mindrup ‘15 Bailey Rome ‘15 Cody Schmidtberger ‘14 Jordan Staab ‘13 Owen Toepfer ‘15 Grace Volker ‘15 Lexie Wasinger ‘15
propriate and dull-witted things? One would think if you decide to post something, you would make it relatively appropriate since most of the world will have access to it. Another reason you should think before you make a post on Facebook or tweet on Twitter, is in the future you may have employers and/or colleges that will be interested in what you had to say a couple of years ago. They probably will not be very impressed reading about how you felt the need to degrade your friend publically because of something they did the previous day. The question I pose to the students who tweet or post is: Are you proud of what you tweet or post? Would you be ashamed if anyone else with the exception of your peers saw what you tweeted?
Publication Policy
The staff of The Chancellor upholds the following policy in regards to the publication of the student newspaper. When tragedy or crisis occurs, it will be the decision of the staff whether or not to cover the topic. Pictures are chosen by the staff on grounds of availability and quality. Letters to the staff must include, but are not limited to: corrections, suggestions, and personal opinions. Letters must be submitted in type, less than 150 words addressed to the editor and be submitted no later than two weeks before the next publication. All staff members reserve the right to report any and all subjects that meet the elements of news. The Chancellor, being a newspaper wholly written and produced by students, reserves the right to determine the content of the publication. Suggestions are accepted, but it is up to the discretion of the staff to determine if coverage is necessary. The publication follows the guideline directed by the Kansas Student Publication Act (1992) which, in short, states that: A) content will not be censored only because it contains political or controversial topics, B) review of material is permitted to assure the articles are consistent with high standards of English and journalism, C) libelous, slanderous, obscene or matter that promotes illegal conduct is not protected, D) students are responsible for determining the content of the publication while publications advisors and other certified employees are responsible for teaching responsible expression and high standards of English and journalism, E) no student publication by students shall be deemed an expression of school policy nor can the employees be held responsible in any civil or criminal action. The staff recognized its responsibility to reflect the mission of Thomas More Prep-Marian, a diocesan Catholic high school, to serve the interest and needs of the school community and to provide fair, objective and accurate news, and commentary.
Restaurant Review: Applebee’s
February 2013
February 2013
Fine Arts
Page 3
TMP Artists Shine at League Art Show The League Art Show was held on Thursday, February 28 at Barton County Community College in Great Bend. This event was combined with the Vortex Show. TMP Artists dominated the painting competition in the League Art Show,
bringing home first, second, and third place. Jin Lim ‘13 won first and second place in the division, and Briannah Lee took third place in painting. Meng Meng was awarded fourth place in Pastels at the League level. Fiona Lin
was awarded Best in Show/Director’s Choice in The Vortex Show for her work. Lin also received a $500 scholarship for her work. Other art students participated in a workshop held in conjunction with the Art Days in Great Bend.
Director’s Choice/Best of Show award- Second Place Painting awarded to Jin Lim ‘13. ed to Fiona Lin.
Fourth Place pastels awarded to Meng Meng.
Third Place Painting awarded to Briannah Lee. First Place Painting awarded to Jin Lim ‘13.
TMP Pop Singers Present “Rockin’ out to Country” Matt Mindrup ‘15 and Grace Volker ‘15
Maria Marcotte ‘13
Ryan Schippers ‘15 and Jenna Schuckman ‘13
Taylor Wasinger ‘14
Chancellor Sponsors
Hannah Dreiling ‘13
Emily Staab ‘14 Kelli Veach ‘15
Michael Schulte ‘14
This Publication is made possible thanks to the generous support of these sponsors: Thomas More Prep-Marian Alumni Association TriCentral Office Supply Heartland Building Center Werth Heating, Plumbing, and Air Conditioning, Inc. Northwest Distributors Horizon Appliance Auto World Kennemer Orthodontics Cross Manufacturing Eagle Communications Sunflower Bank Ellis County Abstract Commerce Bank Lifetime Dental Care Taco Shop James Motor Company Western Cooperative Electric Ernsting’s Inc. VSR Financial Services, Inc.
Allison Pfeifer ‘13
Dominique Rupp ‘16
Kade Megaffin ‘13 and Luke Brull Luke Brull ‘13 ‘13
411
Page 4
February 2013
Monarchs Close Basketball Season Matt Mindrup ‘15 As the TMP boys and girls basketball teams’ season comes to a close we will take a look at their numerous accomplishments. Their seasons started with the annual Blue and White scrimmage, in which each team was divided in two and played against each other. It was a great way to introduce new players to competing in a game-like situation. Then, the real games began starting with the Hays City Shootout. Both teams suffered some tough losses, but the boys’team ended the tournament with one win! Soon after, the bulk of the regular season games began. With a new coaching staff for the girls and only
4 returning seniors for the boys team this year was full of new learning experiences. The Chancellor staff had the privilege of catching up with some seniors from both teams. When we asked Jenna Schuckman ’13 about what she would miss the most about basketball she replied, “I’m defiantly going to miss my teammates. I love them all so much, and it’s really going to be hard to say goodbye.” When we caught up with Kade Megaffin ‘13 we asked him what his favorite memory from basketball was. He answered, “Staying overnight at the Hillsboro Tournament my junior year. I had a great time with all of my teammates.”
Q: Why is Perry the Platypus blue when all other platypi are brown? Dear Puzzled About Platypuses, Firstly, the correct plural of platypus is not, as colloquially used, platypi, but is simply platypus or platypuses. Traditionally platypuses are brown because they are covered in a layer of dense fur, which is waterproof and similar to that of a mole. Moles have brown fur. Therefore platypuses have brown fur. Blue fur does not exist. Furthermore, the only reason Perry is blue is because the color is vibrant, and therefore easily noticed on television. Animators commonly use lively colors when creating characters so as to draw attention to their creations on screen.
Sophomore Cameron Fouts ‘15 tries to get around the defender for a basket.
Drew Kingsbury ‘15
Name: Rodney Gracias De Deus Home country: Angola, Africa Why did you come to TMP?: Transferred from Maur Hill in Atchison, Kansas What do you miss most about Angola? My family and friends What is your favorite thing about being in America? All the friends I’ve made while here What is your favorite type of music? Rap What is your favorite subject in school: Math, until this year when it got really hard What are your plans after TMP? Go to college in America, but not sure which school yet
Athletes To Continue Careers in College
National Signing Day, February 6th, is a day full of excitement, nerves, and promising college careers for high school seniors throughout the United States, but this year TMP was lucky enough to have one of our own celebrate this special day. Heather Ruder signed with Kansas State University of indoor and outdoor track and cross country. “I’m really excited about next year because when I visited KState in November I got
the chance to meet the I’ve been blessed to have tem behind me the past girls from the track team such a strong support sys- four years at TMP.” who are all awesome!” “The coach is amazing, too really helping me with my decision to sign with them.” T The senior said of her upcoming 2013-2014 season at KSU, “I’ve got a really great support system behind me too! My family has always been there for me through out this journey, and I’m so thankful also for Coach Anthony Walters ‘13 signed to play Dumler.” football with Ottawa University. He “Coach Dumler was joined by his parents Martin and has been pushing me to keep running no matter Anita Walters. what and do what I love.
History of St. Valentine’s Day Cody Schmidtberger ‘14 February 14, 2013, to some people was just a regular day, but to others it was a day of love. From writing love letters and sending little gifts to giving out valentines while you were in grade school, no matter whom you are, you have heard of and celebrated this holiday. The thing you probably do not know is the history behind this day full of love, and there are many tales of Saint Valentine and his day.
The origins of St. Valentine’s Day are vague to say the least. In fact, they are so vague that, in 1969, the Catholic Church dropped St. Valentine’s Day from the official, worldwide Roman calendar of Catholic feasts. (Those days are reserved for saints with more clear historical record. After all, the saints are real individuals for us to imitate.) There are, however, some parishes that still observe the feast of St. Valentine. The origins of St. Valentine’s Day can be traced back to the ancient
Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on February 15. For about 800 years the Romans dedicated this day to the god Lupercus. On Lupercalia, young men would go play a lottery, drawing the name of a young woman that would become his…special partner for the following year. Pope Gelasius I was angry with this custom to say the least. That is why he altered the day from drawing young women’s names to drawing the name of a saint. The person was then supposed to emulate that
Sincerely, Connie and Blyde Q: Why do I have to speak English?
Ask an International Student
Drew Kingsbury ‘15
Just Ask
saint for the following year. Instead of Lupercus, the patron of this feast day became St. Valentine. However, it was still a day that Roman men used to seek out the affections of women, and they did this by giving out handwritten notes of admiration that included St. Valentine’s name; consequently, we now have the tradition of handing out Valentines to our loved ones on St. Valentine’s Day.
Dear Lazy, If you had the knowledge to write this question in English, can’t you speak English as well? You are lucky enough to have the privilege to learn a new language in the country it is spoken in, so you should take advantage of it. Think of how popular you’ll be in your home country when you can speak this new language so well! Sorry for the sarcasm, Connie and Blyde Q: Why is early release on Thursdays instead of Fridays? Dear Touchy about Thursdays, The new schedule developed two years ago switched early release to Thursday afternoons because Mass was planned for Wednesdays and Fridays. As a Catholic school, it would be poor decision making to have half the school miss Mass for the week due to Professional Development. Thursday is also a good day because many sports and extracurricular groups have competitions on Thursday nights, so students participating in those activities won’t have to leave school early, since everyone would already be dismissed for the day. Salutations, Connie and Blyde NOW, Here’s our Question for you! You’re a bus driver. At the first stop 4 people get on. At the second stop 8 people on, at the third stop 2 people get off and, at the forth stop everyone got off. The question is what color are the bus drivers eyes?
Do you have a question you would like answered? Just drop it off in Mrs. Sramek’s room - 103, or drop it in the Just Ask box next to the television in the cafeteria.