Corette_Fall 2025 by Natalie Gorla

CORETTE STAFF

Editor-in-Chief

Audrey Sherman’26

ManagingEditor

Katelyn Short ‘27

Photo&GraphicsEditor

Mia Eickhoff ‘27

Publicist

Amanda Missey ‘27

CoretteStaff

Caroline Bohac ‘28

Lorelei Cioffi ‘26

Sofie Cordes ‘28

Mary Damazyn ‘29

Marchesa Dolton ‘27

Lorelei Guntli ‘29

Cecilia Hof ‘28

Jo Mazzola ‘26

Uloma Onanwerhi ‘28

Brooke Rodden ‘26

FromtheEditor

Volume8,Issue1isaveryspecialissuetome.The Corette boardhasfought toothandnailtorevivethe Corette andbringafunctioning,thrivingstudent newspaper to Cor Jesu. Despite ups and downs, the dedication of Katelyn Short ‘27, Mia Eickhoff ‘27, and Amanda Missey ‘27 to the Corette has remainedconsistent.Iwanttothankthemforconstantlysupportingmeand fortheircommitment.MyhopeforVolume8iscontinuedinterestinwriting, research,andbringing“news”totheCorJesustudentbody.

COMICSTRIP

SofieCordes‘28andUlomaOnanwerhi‘28

Upcoming Events

10/26-CJAOpenHouse

10/27-NOSCHOOL!

10/31-Halloween

11/8-FallBall

11/27-Thanksgiving

12/5-ChoirConcert

12/8-EveningofArt&Science

12/11-OrchestraConcert

12/12-StudyDay

This issue is a hodge podge of topics, from sports to the amazing fall play and deep dives into faculty members. The Corette staff members on this issuewereincredibletoworkwith,everyonewasgracefulwiththedeadlines and thorough in their research. None of this would be possible without the diligence of the board members, staff, and our amazing moderator, Ms. Hoerner-Baxendale.Thankyou! -AudreySherman‘26

CANITELLYOUASECRET?

Cor Jesu’s Fall Play

Along with the hard-working cast, the people behind the scenes were working just as much. Stage manager Maura Horan ‘26 and assistant stage manager Mia Eickhoff ‘27 worked to coordinate the crews with the cast along with all the hours they put in attending every rehearsal to make sure everything ran smoothly. Something new the stage manager did this year was calling the show. Instead of light and sound crew getting their own scripts to mark their cues for, Maura was on a headset giving the cues to the crews Along with the work both put in as stage managers, they also helped on multiple crews Mia helped the stage crew, and Maura led the MOUSE (marketing and house) crew.

CeceliaHof‘28

This fall, Cor Jesu’s theater department brought the creepy vibes with their fall play A horror documentarystyle performance titled Can I Tell You A Secret?, it was super fun and fitting with the upcoming Halloween spooky season. Starring juniors Amelia Pozzo, Sophia Bolin, and Sofi DeBoo, it was a great experience for everyone who attended With an exclusive opening performance on Thursday, October 2 for the school, the public opening show later that day, and two more performances on Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th, there were many opportunities for plenty of people to see all the hard work that the cast and crew poured into this show Since this year’s show had a significantly larger cast than last year’s, Can I Tell You A Secret? was also able to include many more people, including 7 freshman cast members and 2 freshman crew members Can I Tell You A Secret? also had 5 senior cast members and 6 senior crew members. Both cast and crew worked tirelessly to create the best production they possibly could. As anyone who has ever been in theater knows, being in a show together brings people together in amazing ways and leaving behind a show is one of the saddest parts. Everyone involved did their best to bring Can I Tell You A Secret? to life and hopes that anyone who attended had a great time.

Photo courtesy of Mia Eickhoff

H A L L O W E E N

H A P P E N I N G S HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS

As the weather becomes a little chillier, the sun sets a little earlier, and fall decorations slowly start coming up, there’s one thing on everyone’s mind – Halloween. No matter your age or your plans this Halloween, going to school or work on November 1st will not be a problem since October 31st has fallen on a Friday for the first time in 11 years. The opportunities are endless this Halloween, whether you want to stay at home curled up with a good book or go out and dress up, there is plenty for you to do this spooky season.

The St Louis Zoo is carrying on their annual tradition of Zootoberfest on October 4th-5th and 11th-12th. Zootoberfest is a great event to check out with family or friends, it includes live music and several fun activities that you need to see. On the spookier side, the Missouri History Museum is hosting Ghost Stories and Guitars – a great event on October 23rd from 5:00pm8:00pm. Ghost Stories and Guitars will include live performances of iconic Halloween hits such as Thriller and Monster Mash The Ghost Stories come in when you take a step back from the band and gather around a courtyard bonfire to listen to eerie stories of St. Louis’s haunted past, now that is something you would not want to miss out on.

While costumes and candy are staples for Halloween here, everyone has fun in different ways around the globe for Halloween. Halloween began being celebrated in the United States as a festival from Ireland and Scotland in the 19th century. Since then, the U.S. has changed from a festival to the un-official holiday we all know, and love, as Halloween. However, the history of Halloween does not end there Many cultures celebrate Halloween in their own ways Ireland is second to none when it comes to celebrating Halloween Instead of trickor-treating, Ireland celebrates Halloween with all kinds of festivals across the country On the other side of the globe, children in Mexico still trick-or-treat on Halloween, but also prepare for the following day, El Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead. While new to celebrating Halloween, Japan celebrates by having street parties, parades, and, oddly enough, trains. The usual quiet machines are transformed into beautifully decorated trains. Though we all celebrate Halloween differently, it is a unique holiday that brings us all together.

Halloween is more than just candy and costumes; it strengthens communities in many meaningful ways, from boosting local economies to creating welcoming environments for all The lasting traditions and memories are unbreakable throughout all cultures and communities Whether you are a die-hard Halloween fan or you don’t typically celebrate, Happy Halloween to all!

TECH

APPRECIATION

JoMazzola‘26

ANINVALUABLEPARTOF THECJACOMMUNITY

IT Appreciation day was September 16 , and Jeff, Ken, and Marshall are invaluable parts of our school community. What would we do without someone to restart our “broken” laptops, someone to fix our tweaking smart boards, or someone to fix OnCampus so that we can check our grades every 30 minutes? Enrollment would plummet Girls would be dropping out left and right. But with our tech guys, CJA can not only survive, but THRIVE.

So what sorts of things do the tech guys see on a day to day basis? What’s a CJ girl’s most common tech problem? What are some of the most unusual things they’ve seen in their careers? The answers may surprise you.

(These Q&As are paraphrases of Jeff and Ken’s responses, not their actual quotes )

QWhataresomethings that’vebeenspilledon laptops?

finger nail polish campbell soup a big gulp/QT drink Starbucks a dog peed on someone’s laptop and it got fried!

Whatisthemost commoncomputer problemyou’veseen?

People come in without trying to restart their computers first

QWhat’sthe#1most notabletechissue you’veseen?

Rumor has it, a girl a few years ago ran over her laptop. Though these computers seem like they could survive anything, they evidently cannot survive getting run over by a car. She sent in her busted one and got a new laptop delivered to the school.

(The tech guys do not endorse damaging your laptop to get a free new one )

All photos courtesy of Cor Jesu Academy

W H AT D O ST U D E N TS H AV E TO S AY?

What’s the best experience you’ve had in the tech office/with the tech guys?

“They gave me a quarter when I was having a bad day so I could get M&M's from the candy machine ”

“They fixed my stylus when it broke during finals week. I almost had to write out my whole entire math study guide on paper.”

“I am a freshman here at CJ, and my uncle is one of the tech guys I love to pop in and say hi It makes me feel better coming to this school knowing that I can always pop in and see a familiar face Once, one of my friends needed to get a ID cover for her lanyard, so we stopped at the tech office I said hi and told my friends about my uncle and we started talking about Cobra Kai ”

“Not in the tech office, but I remember playing the piano and one of them popped his head in to say I was playing well (and to suggest I play Star Wars) ”

“I accidently made two copies but they only made me pay for one of them and let me keep both!”

What’s the most embarassing reason you’ve had to go to the tech office?

“I got a virus reading an article about the best flavor of Poptart and they were like why were you reading that?”

“I went in for something and they exited out of all my tabs and they saw my computer wallpaper which was covered with actors that I find attractive. Jeff started naming off all the ones he recognized. Super embarrassing.”

“I was trying to dowload an episode of Dr. Who and I got a computer virus. They asked me what happened and I lied and said I had no idea how it happened.”

“They opened my computer and it was on ChatGPT ”

“When I went in and all I needed to do was restart my computer.”

“The tech guys went through my files to see if I had a virus and I had weird pictures downloaded that I sent to my friends ”

“My study skills teacher tried to restart my [computer] and ended up smashing something on the inside resulting in me having to get a new one (that’s how my [computer] crashed).”

B A C K-TO - B A C K S TAT E BACK-TO-BACK STATE

One state championship is usually enough to turn heads. However, this team has done it twice in the past two years - back-to-back. In the highest class, the team has achieved an unreal feat. Led by alumna coaching staff Rachel Brcic ‘08, Nina Bono Murphy ’05, and Emily Erbs ’17, the Chargers are an unstoppable force. With commits on the 2025 team such as Emma Shields ‘25 to Missouri State, Ellie Schroeder ‘25 to Milliken, Alex Henderson ‘25 to Rockhurst, Isabella and Chloe Knese ‘26 to St. Mary’s, Macy Nicholson ‘27 to South Florida, Roz Doherty ‘27 to SLU, and Maddie DiMaria ’27 who plays on the U17 National Team, was called up for the U17 FIFA World Cup team, and just committed to University of North Carolina Chapel Hill to continue her academic and athletic career, the team is not lacking in any aspect.

Cor Jesu Corette page designed by Amanda Missey ‘27

C

CHAMPIONS: SOCCER

The Chargers started off strong and fought hard this past season. They took home the Championship League champions title early in the season, but that was just the start. Over the course of the season, there were a total of 106 goals scored by 19 different players, 81 assists, and an overall record of 22-1. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that there were only 12 goals against. The team was also ranked #4 nationally by United Soccer Coaches and Maddie DiMaria ‘27 received her second All-American title.

Photos courtesy of Natalie Gorla

THESENIORSCOOP

FROMOVERWHELMED TOORGANIZED

Welcome to the very first edition of The Senior Scoop! We’re Brooke and Lorelei, your friendly seniors here to share a little wisdom from our high school journey From balancing school, work, and sports to finding time for yourself, we’re here to give advice, share insights, and hopefully make your high school experience a little smoother. Think of this as your go-to spot for guidance straight from seniors who’ve been there

QIfyoucouldgiveyour freshmanselfadvice, whatwoulditbe?

If I could give my freshman self advice, I would tell her that she was going to be ok. Freshman year and starting high school is such a scary experience, although Cor Jesu turned out to be a worthwhile one You will survive freshman year and you’ll leave with thousands of wonderful memories. You will survive sophomore year, one more year down! You will survive junior year, even though everyone says it's the hardest year (you’ll be fine) You will survive senior year and you will graduate Although not all of you may be as big of overthinkers as I am, know that no matter what everything happens for a reason and everything will work out eventually. I promise.

QHowdoyousuccessfullybalanceschooland work,allatonetime?

This is a tricky question. Attempting to balance school, sports, (and in some cases, work) is difficult but 100% doable. One of my tips is to USE YOUR PLANNER or the sticky notes app on your computer. Writing down exactly what you have to do is incredibly helpful in balancing You need to section out parts of your day for school, sports, work, and yourself too During the school day, school should be your priority Use your study halls and activity periods but take lunch as a time to relax and eat. If you have a sports practice, utilize your time and be productive. At practice, your sport should be your priority. Focus on it for the allotted time. After practice, if you go home, you should eat dinner, shower, and do the rest of your homework (if you have any leftovers). Don’t stay up too late, especially during sports seasons because SLEEP & HEALTH should be your top priority If you work, take your homework or dinner with you (if you can; don't get fired!) Try to get some part of your night routine done, if it’s possible. Overall, it's really up to you. You need to force yourself to have balance, and although that can frequently be difficult, once you get into the habit, it becomes easy!

Photo courtesy of Audrey Sherman ‘26

QHowmanyclubsshouldIjoin?

When you’re exploring clubs, focus on the ones that actually interest you and you can realistically commit to. It’s always better to show passion and consistent participation in a few clubs than to sign up for twenty and barely show up. Don’t just join for the résumé colleges and teachers value genuine involvement and leadership over general membership.

It’s also fun to join with friends so you can keep each other motivated, but don’t be afraid to branch out and try something new on your own. Clubs are one of the best ways to meet people with similar interests, and it’s totally fine to test a few out before deciding which ones to stick with!

QHowdoIkeepupwithschoolwithout spendingallmytimeonhomework?

Believe it or not, you are given a study hall for a reason, and it’s a good one! By using your time effectively at school, you will have more free time at home to do whatever your heart desires. Even if you load up on the honors/AP classes and feel extremely overwhelmed with homework, it can all be accomplished if you prioritize.

Here are some of my recommendations:

1. Work smarter, not longer - Instead of rereading your notes for hours, try to use a different method such as flashcards, explaining it to a friend or family member, or even completing a mini quiz. These tactics will allow yourself to remember the information more effectively to open up time for other activities.

2. YOU time - Always carve out at least 1 hour a day to enjoy yourself Remember, school is not supposed to be your personality. Find a fun hobby, relax to a newly released show, or spend some time in nature! All of these activities will allow yourself to focus better when you actually need to because you are relaxed and ready to gain knowledge.

3. Learn what works best for you - It is very important to find out what methods work best for you Maybe you work better before school and enjoy the early morning study sessions. Or maybe you like to get everything done right after school to enjoy the rest of the night. Find a schedule that works for you, even if that means doing things differently than your friends. Trust me, it’ll help you be more productive and successful in the end.

Photo courtesy of Jasmine Lovan (Ketchum University)

Ranked as the #5 team in the area, the Cor Jesu lacrosse team made history this season with their state championship win. They began post season by defeating Rockwood Summit in the sweet 16 and then moved on to play #4 seed Ladue in the elite eight. They defeated the Rams and took on John Burroughs, the #1 seed, in the final four to defeat them. The team then moved to the championship to play Eureka, the defending state champions. The Chargers dominated and ended up winning 13-10. Goal scorers were the following: Abby Finnegan ‘25 and Cate Figge ’26, each with 3 goals. Millie Erickson ‘27, Paige Ferris ’28, and Amanda Missey ‘27, each with 2 goals, and Sofia Work ’26 with 1 goal.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Gorla

Photo courtesy of Bob Miller

ZACH’S COOKIES:

BEHIND THE SCENES

MaryDamazyn‘29andLoreleiGuntli‘29

Many people have had the famous cookies here at CJ, but how many people actually know the process of making them? Cookies have become a staple here at CJ, with a variety of flavors including chocolate chip, M&M, and other seasonal favorites. Some of our writers decided to go behind the scenes and learn about the process of making the cookies. “Itisabitoftrialanderror,seeing whatyouguysgravitatetowards, andwhichonesyouliketobuythe best”

Michelle is the baker for Flynn’s Food. She bakes not only the cookies, but also all the delicious desserts. Not many people know that she manages the baked goods. Almost all the desserts you eat, she helps with.

The process of making the cookies takes a long time. The staff usually creates the dough a day or two before they are baked. Zach says, “It allows time for the flour in the dough to hydrate with the eggs, butter, and other ingredients.” The cookies are made by hand and after they let the dough sit, they hand scoop it and put it into a conveyor style oven. Once the cookies are taken out of the oven they are given time to cool on the pan.

Jesu Corette

Photo courtesy of Flynn’s Foods

After the cookies cool they are put onto the shelf and are ready to be bought You may have thought there was a special ingredient, but truthfully there is technically not one However, Zach says, “if I had to pick a ‘secret ingredient’ it would be care and love.”

“CorJesuisaspecialplace,andwe'reglad tobeheredoingourparttohelpkeepitthat way.”

A lot of thought has gone into deciding what kind of cookies are sold during lunch. Some are sold every day, while others are seasonal favorites. “It is a bit of trial and error, seeing what you guys gravitate towards, and which ones you like to buy the best,” says Zach

Cookies are truly a strong part of the community Some would even say the cookies are iconic Throughout our time at CJ, we may have different lunches, but one thing stays true We all love cookies From chocolate chip to snickerdoodle, there is a flavor for you When asked about how it feels to be part of such an iconic part of CJ, all Zach said was, “Cor Jesu is a special place, and we're glad to be here doing our part to help keep it that way.”

Photo courtesy of Flynn’s Foods

KEEPINGUP WITH CJSPORTS

AmandaMissey‘27

Photo courtesy of Lauren Ortwerth

18 Cor Jesu Corette page designed by Amanda Missey ‘27

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball has started their season off with a bang due to their stacked varsity team consisting of 4 freshmen, 6 seniors, and 4 juniors. The team is led by varsity senior captains Devin Bergan and Lauren Ortwerth, a Lindenwood Division 1 volleyball commit.SeniorSaoirseHendersonisalsocommittedtoDivision 3 school WashU to continue her volleyball career as well. With these key players, we can continue to expect big things from this team in the future as Cor Jesu is the host for districts again this year, which gives a huge advantage to the team as they have the support of the chargers backing them. The Pink Out game/spirit game was a smashing success, with high attendenceandabigChargerwinoverUrsuline.

FIELDHOCKEY

With the loss of key players from last year, new players have risen to fill those spots. Georgia Slinkard ‘26 was named as a player to watch this season, and Olivia Steffens ‘27 is currently the top scorer on the team, with a total of 5 goals.

CROSSCOUNTRY

TENNIS

With last season ending as district champs, tennis has a reputation to uphold. They recently competed in the Parkway Doubles Tournament, and it was a clean sweep. #1 doubles Angelina Hong ‘26 and Katie Reh ‘28 won first place, as did #2 - Bryanna Hong ‘28 and Nealy Kohler ‘28, #3 - Sofia Moehn ‘26 and Joanna Bull ‘26, and #4 - Jillian Eichhorn ‘26 and Amanda Missey ‘27. This is the first time in history that all four doubles won first place in their flight!

GOLF

Led by coaches Mark Tueth and Tim Heuther, so far this (regular) season, varsity’s average for nine holes is currently at +26, which is a solid average With strong players such as Nora Cooke ‘26 and Ali Geminn ‘26, the team has done well JV is up 6-1 as of the beginning of the season They ended up with a record of 8-3 last year, so they have shown improvement throughout this season

SOFTBALL

Cross country has had an extremely successful start this season. With returners like Mary McKenzie ‘26, who was recognized as one of the top five cross country runners to watch this season by STLToday, Ava Bognar ‘26, and Hannah Studer ‘27, as well as others. The team has also welcomed strong newcomers such as Kaitlyn Loeffelman ’27, who has been consistently placing in the top ten. Varsity has been consistent this season with high-place finishes as a team overall. There is a lot to look foward to throughout the rest of the season.

So far this season, softball has a record of 13-8. Coming off of a strong finish from last season, a 4 place title at the state championship, the team has had some impressive accomplishments. They placed 5 in the Eureka tournamnet, and have had standout performances from players Beau Belz ‘27, Alice Vogel ‘27, and Lauren Overbey ‘27. Vogel pitched a no hitter against Webster Groves, Overbey hit for the cycle against Webster, and Beau Belz has hit 4 homeruns this season. th th

Photo courtesy of Rita Jana Photography

Photo courtesy of Georgia Slinkard

When asked their opinions on the welcome week changes, many alum faculty members thought it was a positive change

"It created more opportunities for the freshman to work together and also great chances for the seniors to rake in the cookies as they deserve" - Audrey Ploesser ‘06

When Mrs. Remiger ‘98 was a freshman, she had to wear a pig nose. Her week was “full of not knowing where to go along with being unable to use certain stairwells to get to different places. It was scary and not very welcoming...

...Flash forward to this year - what a difference! It seemed to be actually fun, engaging, and welcoming to the majority if not all." - April Remiger ‘98

This year, every senior was given ten coins to distribute throughout the week to any freshman they thought were going above and beyond This quickly turned into, “what can we get a freshman to do for a coin?” When seniors were asked the funniest thing they saw a freshman do, answers ranged from filling up seniors’ water bottles and doing cartwheels, to standing up on a lunch table and singing Mystical Magical by Benson Boone while doing an interpretive dance. While the coins were a fun way for seniors to interact with freshman, the seniors were torn on whether or not they enjoyed the new addition. In opposition, Selene Ahlersmeyer ‘26 shared it felt more like “senior haze week. I had freshman coming up to me kaw-kawing in my face and then demanding a coin.” Other seniors wished they had more coins to distribute. Each coin the freshman earned was added to their homeroom tally, and the homeroom with the most coins collected got donuts the following week.

In addition to the coins, each freshmen homeroom was given a daily challenge to complete. Challenges included decorating senior homeroom doors, hula hoop competition, composing a song for seniors, and taking a photo in the hats. The most popular challenge among the freshmen was decorating the doors with just sticky notes Senior STUCO picked the two losing homerooms and they had to bring in cookies the next day for the seniors Some seniors shared their dissapointment with not getting to vote as a class

Burnworth’s favorite subject growing up was math and if she could have one food for the rest of her life, it would be tacos. Her hobbies outside of school include reading, music, and pottery When asked to describe herself in one phrase or sentence, she said that she tries to portray herself as “endearingly awkward and dumb ” My personal favorite question to ask was “If there was a movie about you, what would the title be?” and Ms. Burnworth’s answer did not disappoint. Her movie title would be “Coup de Grâce,” a clever play on her first name