Spring Issue by The Shield (Saint Thomas Aquinas High School)

The Shield Spring Issue

SHOW STOPPING

Maggie Halpin performs in the Crazy Town musical during the dress rehearsal for the show. Photo by Mara Loughman (Medallion yearbook staff).

Volume 33 2020 Staff Members

Volume 32 l Spring Issue

The Shield Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

Adviser I Matt Hallauer

MISSION STATEMENT

Editor-in-Chief I Moorea Gailloux

The Shield is a voice for students of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School.

Social Media Manager I Hailey Krumm Senior Reporter I Anabelle Goone Senior Reporter I Maria Palazuelos Senior Reporter I Noah Faddis Junior Reporter I Cameron Elias Junior Reporter l Ethan Young

It is published by students in our Shield class for the whole Aquinas community to serve as a source of information and a spark for productive change. The Shield staff is responsible for the content published, striving to share information accurately, objectively, and completely for all members of the Saint Thomas Aquinas High School community.

The Shield Social Media

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ADV ERT ISING The Shield sells advertisements to help with publication costs. All ads will be subject to the same scrutiny as stories. The Shield will not print any obscenities or any ads promoting products illegal to those under the age of 18. For advertising, please call (913) 319-2418, send an email to mhallauer@stasaints.net, or visit www.stasaints.net/shield. S UB SC R IP T IO NS Subscriptions to The Shield are $3 per issue. Subscriptions can be sent to Saint Thomas Aquinas High School c/o Matt Hallauer. Digital subscriptions are free and sent via email monthly. Orders can be sent to mhallauer@stasaints.net. L ETTER S P O LIC Y Letters may be accepted by The Shield, provided that they are signed and do not contain libelous statements. The Shield reserves the right to edit the letters for grammar, obscenity, or space consideration, and also reserves the right to not print a letter.

Contents

From Blizzards

t’s officially one year since the pandemic started and wow how the times have changed! Within this issue, we cover the changes which have occurred in our nation and school more specifically. Erika Moll reviews all that has happened since the “last normal day of 2020” and Ethan Young tackled the cancellations, as well as hopeful new beginnings, for March Madness. Additionally, Noah Faddis interviews fellow Saint Thomas Aquinas students’ opinions on the change in academic workload for our new environment. Maria Palazuelos also takes a look at theology classes and curriculum for all four years,

28 Letter from the Editor

to Blossoms :

while Cameron Elias discusses conspiracy theories which have been heard around the school hallways. Admist the chaos, our newspaper class realized many students are also working jobs after school. Hailey Krumm dives deep into some amazing ones that current students have. Finally, comfort may not come easy to those stressed or in bad situations, so Connor Klocke describes his “hot take” on different kinds of french fries. Music additionally aids in anti-stress behaivior, so playlists have been formed by students for the upcoming spring break!

Moorea gailloux Editor-In-Chief

January fresh start, February spring play Valentine’s growing curve, mission trips, no school new year, new me Day, travel bans, show choir, vacations, spring break wildfires, chaos,fear,coronavirus, winter sports, Italy, WHO declares pandemic getting things done, goals, tension, back to isolation. school, routine, blizzard, homework, winter, snow days, Kobe Bryant,Trump aquitted,NHS, winter storms, NBA suspension, end to life as we know it public health emergency Ahmad Arbery, Chiefs win, cancellations,

March 12, 2020

Reflecting on our “last normal day” as students.

t was eerily dark outside ... ” Senior Tamara Lopez recalls the morning of March 12, 2020--the day we left school for spring break and left normality behind. In the morning, ominous clouds and roaring thunder echoed a warning of what would occur in the next few days. The significance of our last “normal” day of school is found in the previously ordinary moments that seem absurd now. We walked in through the commons and smiled at others while making deposits and withdrawals from our lockers. “Our lunch table had like 20 people,” junior Ann Cole remembers.

Make this day count It’s uncanny that this was

knew that no country can out run the pandemic, and Aquinas was going to go online after.” A handful of students didn’t even make it to school that day. Senior Grace O’Keefe, who had left early for a vacation, says if she could she “would’ve gone back and lived out that last normal day of high school.” During her trip to Kentucky, senior Mikaela Sechler felt as if the atmosphere were off. “No one had masks yet so it just felt kinda dead.” She said.

the statement that closed morning announcements that day. The majority of us paid little attention to it--afterall, we heard it every day. Looking back, however, most of us wish that we would have made that day count just a little more. “All I would have wanted to do was give all my friends one last hug before six months of no contact.” sophomore Lauren Dickinson said. The majority of the world had no clue what was to happen in the next few weeks. Lydia Saunders, a current junior, A different kind of couldn’t say the same. march madness “I knew that the pan demic was coming,”she says, The moment March Mad“My dad works in Hong Kong, ness was cancelled, March chaos where he was quarantined. I ensued. Many students remember the postponement vividly, with junior Matthew Holzmeister noting that his “main concern was not about school, it was about if the NCAA March Madness Tournament would be played.”

Erika Moll Reporter

The Shield

Jacob Bartlett: “It was sad because I knew I wouldn’t be able to be around my friends and classmates for a while.” Ashley Bendorf: “I hung out with my friends.” Hannah Koepp: “I was really upset and went to get Chinese food with Jon Arth after school.” Katelynn Condley: “We all joked about having an extra week of spring break, and then we lost the rest of our semester and life hasn’t been the same since.” Charlotte Pickert: “I remember that my 8th grade class was teasing each other about never seeing each other again after spring break. Well, we ended up never seeing each other again.” Wyatt Potter: “It was the last day before spring break. I was going to the Utah Jazz game but then the NBA cancelled it, and they cancelled everything.” Patrick Dors: “I thought that when COVID was starting to spread, there was a large chance that school would be cancelled for a week or two. However, on March 17th, I heard the news that school would be cancelled for the rest of the year. This shocked me quite a bit because I didn’t think in a million years that something like that would happen.” Emily Eckerberg: “I remember I was sick that day, but came to school not wanting to lose my waiver. I ended up leaving early that day and I missed my last practices of swim for the season.” Ella Hoffman: “I remember sitting with my friends while we were in Arkansas learning school was cancelled.” Lauren Dickinson: “My friends and I were talking about school closing but we didn’t think it would be that bad. We

all thought that school would close for two weeks and then everything would go back to normal.” Ava Roscoe: “My best friend and locker partner knew she was moving away in June, and the whole day we were just thinking about how March 12th could potentially be her last day, and it turns out we were right.” Piper Lindsey: “Ryan Lipp running through junior hall yelling we weren’t coming back.” Addie Dreiling: “I remember walking with my friends out of class and laughing about having an extra week of spring break and debating whether we’d ever come back. I also remember earlier that day I was jokingly saying my goodbyes to everyone. Little did I know that would be the last time I would see them for months.” Kelsey Lelei: “I remember my friends and I we’re talking about how we might go online, and everyone thought there was no way that was gonna happen.” Betsy Goodenow: “I remember thinking that we were just going to have an extra week off, and that track wouldn’t be cancelled, and life would be back to normal soon.” Olivia Burgess: “I remember being completely fine with it and not thinking much of it. Just like ‘oh well whatever.’ Then I walked over to my best friend’s house (from 1st grade) and I realized that I would never go to school with her again because we were going to different high schools. I started bawling, and we cried for 3 days.” Colby King: “I remember driving to Florida and listening to the radio and news about what could happen. It was just a normal, fun, but stressful day.” Jozef Best: “I got

to sleep in a little more.” Ava Budetti: “Everyone was arguing at lunch if cover was real or not. Then I left early to go to state and it got cancelled that night after the first game.” Abigail Ballard: “I remember going to Target with my mom to get some groceries.” Jack Swearingen: “I remember being like, ‘Man, I can’t wait for spring break, a nice long break from school would be excellent.’ Looking back I had no idea how long the break would have actually lasted.” Emma Keenan: “I remember being tired.” Andres Weida: I remember being excited for March Madness and spring break. Back then there were rumors we would be out for two extra weeks. We all thought it was great news, as we were burned out and excited for summer. Little did we know how badly we would miss those days. I distinctly remember saying goodbye to Maria Palazuelos in the hallway at the end of the day, after cleaning out our lockers. I jokingly said ‘See you next year.’ Unfortunately, the next time I would see her, or anyone, in the hallway would be 6 months later, as we all came to find out.” Ian Middendorf: “I had just finished packing everything I needed for a 10-day tour of Ireland with my rugby team. I was talking to my mom, looked down at my phone, and saw that the travel ban just came out. The night before we were supposed to leave, we couldn’t.” Michaela Befort: “I was having lunch, and it was so dark outside that we were joking that the apocalypses was starting, and life wouldn’t be the same after today.” Breck Steffensmeier: I had a party in english class.”

Spring Issue

- HUNTER RICHARDSON

“DON’T REMEMBER.”

“No masks, no social distancing, I would of cherished it if I knew what was going to happen.” - Sarah Spell

“I was on the bus ride home from cheering a girls state tournament game when all of the

“I remember my family was

having a Wii bowling competition and I was looking at the news on my phone and saw we were going on a lockdown for 30 days. I asked my mom if she knew about it, she didn’t. And everything went from being fun to kinda scary.” - Jane Krumm

sudden my mom called me and told me our trip to California and Disney Land had to be canceled. I remember thinking that it was so dumb, and we would be back in school in like, two weeks. The day had just felt so weird already. It felt like the last day of school.” - Maddy Terril

“NO MASKS .” - AIDAN HAM

“I remember watching tik toks on the 13th and everybody agreed that it "WE HAD A PARTY IN THE SPIRIT SHOP ABOUt how felt like a very weird day.” we thought corona would cancel school for - Hayleah Dervin a week and we joked about school getting cancelled for the rest of the year" “I remember that my dad “The big clincher for me - ELIZABETH PLUMB didn’t let me go to school, was when the March I came for like one class Madness tournament got to take a math test. I re- canceled and I just felt “I just remember getting grossed out by all member showing up to like we were gonna go lunch and everyone was virtual. On that fateful of the teachers that were still licking their talking about how it was day, my sister had a lagetting shut down, and it crosse game and instead fingers to pass out papers.” was soo weird. I was like of watching, I got out the - Catie Berkemier scooting back from the gun and put up about 750 table because my fam- shots in the aux gym in ily was worried about about 2 hours, thinking it “I remember Fr. Weger going around it. Then within the next would be my last time to week it was all gone.” shoot around in there for blessing the school.” a long time.” - Aaron Scaletty - J. P. Balino - Loreali Teddy

The Shield

Cancelled Excitement was filled to the brim that day. However, with a series of emails and intercom announcements, mission trips, sports practices, and even a trip to Ireland vanished into thin air. Events we had waited for for months became unimaginable in a matter of days. “I had a swim practice that afternoon and I never thought it would be my last swim practice of the swim season.” Junior Jeanette Townsend remembers.

abrupt endings The day we returned to school felt like a breath of fresh air. Some, however, weren’t able to return at all. “I remember I was in eighth grade and it was almost time for spring break.” freshman Alexandra Ridge says, “Everyone knew about the pandemic, and we were joking about it a little bit, but none of us actually knew that it would be our last day all together.”

Beauty in the ordInary “It was a day like any other.” sophomore Carter Yanette’s description of March 12, 2020 rings true to most of us. This day serves as a reminder to appreciate the ordinary things. As for March 12 of last year, senior Piper Lindsey describes it perfectly, “It was a good, normal day.”she says. “I miss normal days; I would do anything for one again.”

Emma Thomas: “No one had to wear masks, but things started shutting down really fast. We were in St. John, so we read about what was happening in america while also experiencing the island’s response. At first, there was nobody that had it, but once there were 2 people that had it (within like less than a day), things started rapidly shutting down and everyone was trying to leave the island.” Timmy Novacek: I remember Dr. Sullivan coming over the intercom and saying that we needed to take home all of our stuff so they could “clean the lockers”. Some people said that we were not going to come back but like how could you just close school. I then went in and was talking to Mrs. Turner about my math test when I asked her what she thought about us taking home our stuff so the could “clean”. She said “I feel like we might just close for a little while. But it wont be long. I sent my other students home with books just in case.” I laughed at that and said ‘Yeah, okay, see you after spring break’. I didn’t see her in person again until September later that year.” Cooper Ebert: “Three of my friends got into one hoodie, and went to first period in it together. Gretta Hauk: “Well, I can’t say for sure because a

week before, I was diagnosed with a respiratory infection and I was pretty sure I had COVID even though I wasn’t tested. It was right before spring break--I was sick for two weeks and had all the symptoms. [I] thought I would be able to see my friends and return back to school, but then school was cancelled. It was so depressing and sad but, happily living my senior year now.” Trinity Samuelson: “My birthday and my friend’s birthday are on March 9th and 10th. We celebrated our birthdays with our friends on the 12th together, then everything went crazy.” Graham Spiess: “I remember all the stores sold out of toilet paper.” Lilli Tyler: “Someone gave me a good luck charm as a joke because I was going to Florida and I threw it away. I probably shouldn’t have done that to be honest.” Emma Schmidt: “I left my friends thinking I was going to come back and I didn’t so I didn’t really get to say goodbye.” Anna Stoll: “We had swim practice after school. I remember Coach Jenny Caldwell saying she had a feeling the season was going to be cancelled and we weren’t going to be coming back after spring break after we told her we had to bring our books home. I thought she was crazy.” Mena Castro: “Don’t remember a thing.”

Spring Issue

Covid Workload .

ith the one-year anniversary of mandated lockdown and the perceived beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic quickly approaching, it is important to look back at not only this past year but years before. It’s normal to draw comparisons between school years but to compare any previous year to a year filled with hybrid scheduling and missed school is another issue. Some students have found that this school year has been harder on them and that the added stress of life recently doesn’t mix well with school. Others have voiced that this isn’t the case. They’ve found it easier to navigate a school year that has to be more flexible. Both of these perspectives seem to ring true with the ever-changing school schedule. Have students felt that the academic workload has generally increased? The answer to this varies depending on what kind of classes are being taken, if they’re honors or not, and what kind of work is being done. “I feel like teachers are trying to double the workload we have because we missed so

The Shield

Homework Levels as Compared to Before Spring Break 2020 Most Teachers Are Assigning More -----49.7%

Most Teachers Assign Less -----5.1%

Teachers Are Assigning Basically The Same -----45.2% Information gathered from Shield Survey results.

much in online school,” said junior Katie Dors, adding that the mix of online and in-person classes has made this year “much harder to balance.” Although school has been in session online, many classes have trouble translating material through Google Classroom, and are trying to

compensate for any loss by pushing out more work. Do you feel that teachers have been harder on you or eased up on homework? Even with the perceived increase in the workload, teachers are very aware of how

Stress Levels as Compared to Before Spring Break 2020 Basically The Same -----25.5%

Less Than Before -----5.1%

became apparent, this entire year has been incredibly turbulent. Not being able to really know what’s ahead has worn out Aquinas students. This combined with the perceived increase in work has taken its toll, making this past academic year easy to be burnt out on. What do you feel could be done differently?

Sophomore Ben Brooks answered this by saying, “I think that teachers could ease More Stress Than Before up on the work load and I wish -----the administration would be 69.4% Information gathered from Shield Survey results. more understanding.” This has shown true with other students, as Katie Dors answered this question with, “I think more different this academic year is, leniency from teachers would as it also impacts them. drastically improve everyone’s Senior Maddy Terril academic performance and said, “Teachers have definitely mental health.” been doing a great job of being mindful of how hard this year has been for everyone.” With the amount of hurdles that have been thrown into everyone’s paths, most, if not all, teachers have become very cognizant of their classes’s mental health. Do you ever feel burnt out? “I feel very burnt out and just exhausted from school. It really just takes so much out of me,” said senior Sarah Phillips. “Plus, senioritis has hit so hard. I feel it has for us more than other senior classes.” Since the schedule for the rest of the only recently

“Teachers have definitely been doing a great job of being mindful of how hard this year has been for everyone.” Senior Maddy Terril

homework levels, about 50% of students answered that most teachers have been assigning more since last year. about 45% answered that their homework levels were about the same. However, when asked about their stress levels, about 69% of students answered that they were more stressed than before. Only about 26% of students are experiencing the same amount of stress and a small group of about 5% are experiencing less stress than they did before spring break 2020. Although there may be different perspectives for each student, the general consensus is clear. Aquinas students feel that their academic workload has increased with the new school year and are experiencing higher levels of stress. This year has been taxing on everyone and many people are feeling incredibly burnt out. Seniors have to somehow combat a new COVID senioritis while also feeling this.

Noah Faddis Reporter

The Shield recently sent out a survey asking what kind of change, if any, there has been in stress levels and homework levels since spring break of 2020. When asked about their

Easter Issue

MUsic mania

H: S E S Y D U ST

ylo r Sw ift a T s ic t n ma 1. New Ro r Ma c M il le o n n u D 2. Jo h n s on k c a J n w Do e3. Up sid e e I nt er s t at h t n o t u ’O 4. Fr ea k in a r o n ey Bris ton M - Wa llows r e s a le P . 5 aylien D o K r io n u J : y B

Top music choices from students and staff going into this long-awaited Spring Break

e: p y h s s e n March mad C/ D C -A Night Long ll A e M k o 1. You Sh o k Mo r ris on r a M k c a f t he M 2. Ret u r n o y Nat u r e B ty h g u a N F low 3. Fe el Me - K id Cudi e it N ’ N y a 4. D In Town k c a B e r A s 5. T h e B oy T hin Liz z y a d en Ne ef By: S en io r C

Moorea gailloux Editor-In-Chief

The Shield

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA

Caden Neef and Ally Sarver pose for a smiley picture. Photos provided by Caden Neef and Ally Sarver.

CHILLIN' ON a DIRT ROAD

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1. Breathe - Faith Hill 2. Baby Girl - Sugar Land 3. My Maria - Brooks and Dunn 4. How Do I Live - Trisha Yearwood 5. If I Told You - Darius Rucker

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k a e s r b z ard i g W n y Ma n Moi o SPri S y o r d To in

, ou r M lu m e Y F e Day s e a o c l l L n e . e r Z 1 on Diffe o o e h M T marc r, he e 2. t D n eato c r O a C n M e a 3. M ler t h t i ng a y T e B ill Stor m 4. St e h t t er 5. Af s Uchi i l a K

e mor o h Sop rver By: a S A lly

January Issue

March Sadness A brief insight on the Business of college sports, and how the NCAA plans to Operate one of its biggest championships This Spring O

n March 12, 2020, just over 365 days ago, the National Collegiate Athletic Association released a statement announcing the cancellation of one of college sports’ biggest events of the year. This news left seniors, teams, and fans heartbroken for days pondering the thought of what could have been. With the termination of March Madness 2020, the NCAA suffered a drastic loss of revenue from the tournament alone. Flash forward a year later, and the association is still finding the means to get back on track. However, this loss has also pulled back the cover and revealed just how unforgiving the business of college athletics can be. Just like any other business, the NCAA was stopped dead in its tracks by the uprising pandemic. For fans, sports were no longer a major priority in life, as there were plenty of things to deal with already. As a result of this, the association experienced a

huge financial loss from its prolonged postponement of spring athletics. This devastating loss was revealed in the NCAA’s audited financial statement for its 2019-2020 fiscal year, released by the NCAA Jan. 28,. It broke down all of the association’s financial aspects (See the graphic on page 13). Alone, the cancellation of last year’s Divison I tournament ultimately resulted in a $600 million dollar loss in overall revenue for the NCAA. In comparison to 2019’s event, this is a 50 percent decrease in total earnings. During March Madness, television and marketing revenue also plays a big part in the total earnings of the association every year. Last year brought a $700 million dollar decline in potential broadcasting and marketing earnings. This comes from contracts and partnerships made with companies like CBS and Turner, which made the

association over $868 million dollars in revenue in the year prior. These numbers have peeled back the layer of amateurism, revealing the truly relentless business model of college sports. It’s no secret that athletics at higher division universities bring in millions of dollars each year. However, when breaking down the relationship between athletic revenue and revenue drawn in from the university itself, you can really get a glimpse at the system. Start by observing smaller Division 1 universities, or non-Power Five schools such as Davidson or Butler University. These are usually the schools considered underdogs in primetime matchups, and are portrayed as having the ideal system of amateur college athletics.

Next Level

Recent Aquinas graduate, Molly Hartnett, recently began her college basketball career this year at Northwest Missouri State University. Hartnett, averaging 14.2 point per game as a freshman, has proved that she belongs at such a high level with her impressive playstyle. The sky’s the limit for the Class of 2020 graduate. Photo courtesy of Colin McDonough and NWMSU Athletics.

The Shield

The NCAA Fiscal Year of 2020: By the Numbers Activity Expenses Year in Review This past year, the NCAA saw its total revenues decrease by more than $600 million, a 50% decrease from 2018-2019. In that year, the association only lost 56 million. Since that loss, the NCAA announced a new plan to reduce its spending. The association announced that it will reduce its spending, and will put its event cancellation insurance into full effect. This insurance plan has neutralized nearly $800 million of revenue lost from the cancellation of March Madness, as well as its television and marketing rights and ticket sales. In this plan, schools and fans alike will continue to see a reduction in distribution between Division I universities. Expect these changes to be made throuhgout the current 2020-21 fiscal year.

Distribution to Divison 1 men’s programs: $246,279,339 Division 1 championships, programs, NIT: $38,286,548 Division 2 championships, programs, distribution: $38,286,548 Division 3 championships and programs: $22,199,542 Association-wide programs: $171,171,083 Management and general: $40,810,591 All for a total of $574,981,517 Financial Position Activity Revenue With the temporary postponement of college athletics, the NCAA has still been able to generate a feasible amount of revenue from its activities. According to its Consolidated Statement of Activities, the association was able to generate revenue from these aspects: TV/Marketing Right Fees: Championships/NIT: Investment income: Sales, services, etc: Insurance: Contribution - facilities:

In total, the NCAA was still able to find itself in a reasonable position regarding the multiple obstacles endured in the past year. The association summed up its total assets to be $701,508,342, making this equal to its net assets. In addition to this, its liabilities made a total of $307,163,790.

$165,230,167 $15,,799,943 $40,4 88,047 $24,458,645 $270,000,000 $3,207,260

All for a total of $519,184,062

In that system, there are athletes competing for the main purpose of school pride, all while creating revenue for the school to benefit from. Now, try and apply this system to a Power Five school. These are schools that reside in the five athletic conferences which are considered to be the elite in college sports: ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, PAC12, and SEC. The concept seems reasonable right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case with these select few. Power Five schools generate high revenues from their athletic programs. This comes from large amounts of money made in ticket sales, television contracts, and merchandise sales. To get the bigger picture, from the year 2006 to 2016, these universities saw yearly revenue nearly double from 3.5 to 6.7 billion dollars. This is no small number and isn’t a big surprise for college sports fans. In these schools, the athletic

department is a commercial endeavor that has been created by a small set of coaches and athletes, most of who are unpaid. This model that is present in collegiate athletics today is deemed as unreliable and unfair to athletes and schools of much smaller revenue. Controversy over this model has brought discussions and new ideas of how college sports can be made equal and fair for all athletes and schools. This has been a long-existing topic among the business and has received input from fans, coaches, players, and big names within the sports world for years. Especially during a pandemic, coaches and athletes must put themselves at risk when traveling and playing against other schools. This is a big factor that leaves future collegiate championships in question for a handful of teams. Change within college athletics can be seen happening as early as 1973, with the establishment of the

Title IX law. This law ensures that men and women alike are allowed equitable participation opportunities in college athletics. Most recently, however, the NCAA has turned away from its past rules and regulations and will begin to allow athletes to earn a small compensation of their name, image, and likeliness. This is a big step forward for the future of college athletics in America. However, these athletes and schools are not out of the clear yet, as there is a lot more work to be done to grow and shape the NCAA to its fullest potential as one of the biggest sports platforms in the country. Fear not college basketball fans, for the NCAA is looking to bring back March Madness in a new environment which is safer for schools that are chosen to compete. For those who watched the NBA bubble restart this past summer, you can expect the same outcome this upcoming spring.

Easter Issue

This year, the tournament will feature 67 games between top Division 1 teams. The games will be featured in a controlled environment in and around the city of Indianapolis. Instead of being played at 13 sites, it has now been lowered to just one site in hopes of lowering the chance of virus exposure to players, coaches, and staff members. The Association is taking every safety measure to ensure that the tournament can stay during its several weeks of competition. In its press release to the public, the NCAA stated:

“The NCAA is partnering with a local health provider to administer COVID-19 testing within the controlled environment for players, coaching staffs, administrators and officials” David Worlock

Student Opinions on College Sports (According to The Shield's Spring Survey)

The Shield

Those required to be tested will be screened constantly throughout their stay. This “bubble” that is being established will take place in and around the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. Marriott, the official partner of the NCAA, will house a majority of the tournament’s teams with a direct connection to the convention center via skywalks. All teams will be housed on a dedicated floor and will be provided with distanced meeting and dining rooms. In addition to this, teams will have secure methods of transportation to and from the venues. The NCAA stated that they are continuing to closely monitor the pandemic in hopes that they will be able to host fans at the venues. They have declared already that a limited number of family members of each student-athlete and coach will be permitted to attend this spring. Fans can expect the event to begin following the airing of Selection Sunday at 5 p.m. CT on March 14th and will be able to watch all 68 teams battle it out for a national championship title starting on March 18th.

“What is your favorite college sports team?” 46% Kansas Jayhawks 24.8% Kansas State Wildcats 6.2% Notre Dame Fighting Irish 3.7% Missouri Tigers 2% Arkansas Razorbacks 2% UNC Tar Heels 2% Ohio State Buckeyes 2% Nebraska Cornhuskers 11.8% Other

The comeback of March Madness will prove to be no small celebration of the return of Spring college sports, and no small success for the NCAA either. The event won’t go without making huge profits for both the association and its universities. Where this money may go, only bigname executives will know. But no matter the number, conversations will be had regarding the well-being of players and coaches as they continue to play during the pandemic. This Spring, you can expect tragedy to be turned into triumph as only one school will be able to be crowned as “2021 NCAA Divison 1 National Champions”. Until then fans must wait eagerly, reminiscing of the past ‘March Sadness” hiatus, and looking forward to seeing their favorite team out on the court fighting for the title.

Ethan Young Reporter

“What college sport do you prefer watching?” 40.4% Basketball 38.5% Football 8.1% Volleyball 3.1% Soccer 3.1% Baseball/Softball 6.8% Other

Do you think baseball season will be normal? 66.4% - Like the NFL season, there will be far fewer fans allowed 31.1% - Mostly normal, some minor changes 2.5% - Normal season with normal attendance

SURVEY SPREAD Will you be traveling for Spring Break?

50% Going On A Vacation

28.8% Staying On A Staycation

Based on email responses to the student Shield survey

21.3% No Clue, It’s Too Far Away

January Issue

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@stashield Spring Issue

Saints at Work School, sports, homework, friends. Aquinas students have so much going on in their lives all of the time. What more could they be doing? Well, some people, alongside all of their other activities, have a part time job. When we think about a part time job many people just think about working somewhere

boring. Not all people find their jobs fun or exciting but there are some students at Aquinas that have very interesting jobs that many of us would never think about. We have nannies. lifeguards, dental assistants, baristas and even a vet!

work then play

Mara poses on the diving board with her coworker at her pool. Photo courtesy of Mara Loughman.

Mara Loughman Mara Loughman is a lifeguard for the City of Lenexa. She works at the Lenexa Rec Center during the school year and one of the city pools, Flat Rock Creek, in the summer. Mara started her job in the summer of 2019 and is still there today.

“ I love my job, it’s is so nice to have such a payed back job and get to do it with friends” Mara Loughman Mara loves many things about her job. One of those being the people she works with. Getting to work with so many friends makes her job better and more fun. Mara’s favorite part of her job is “all the friends [she] ha[s] made over the past two years.” Lifeguarding is a very social job that requires you to have relationships with your

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coworkers so Mara is thankful to have such a great staff! Being a lifeguard requires a large amount of training. Guards are required to be CPR and AED certified, as well as have first aid training. At Lenexa, Mara has to attend 2 inservices every month where the guards work on their skills. These skills include first aid, in-water saves, and caring for other medical emergencies. Mara is also required to complete a list of ondeck training every month. The list will have different skills that she has to perform in front of a manager. Mara thinks that training as a lifeguard “teaches you good time management and makes you more reliable.” One of the most challenging parts about working,

Mara says is “juggling all [her] sports, school work and job at the same time, as well as being physically fit to perform [her] job correctly.” Mara is also on a club soccer team and plays for the girls soccer team at Aquinas. Mara works mainly on Saturdays and Sundays so during the week she can focus on her other responsibilities.

Piper Lindsey Piper Lindsey has a very unique job. She works at Leawood Cosmetic and Family Dentistry as a dental assistant. Piper started her job this August. She wanted to work somewhere that would help gain her experience for her future career. Piper wants to become a dentist and working at the dentistry, Piper is “getting real world experience in a field she’s hoping to pursue in her future.” One of Piper’s favorite things about her work is getting an unique experience about working as a dentist and getting to learn

things that she wouldn’t usually learn until dental school. Piper is getting a jump start on her career and getting an advantage that in the future, most dental school students will not have. Piper’s job is super unique because she is the youngest employee at the dentistry. Her coworkers have gone through dental school already and are in their mid 20s or older. Piper is the only high school student there. Working as a dental assistant, Piper works with many people and can sometimes have challenges. Sometimes patients

can be pretty difficult and “change their minds 4 and 5 times on how they want each veneer.” Piper also has to deal with patients who are anxious about being at the dentist. To help calm patients down, Piper and the staff bring anxious patients blankets and help reassure them. For many people, a job would be hard to juggle with school and activities, but not for Piper. She keeps herself busy all throughout high school. Piper has “always had at least two jobs throughout her high school career plus sports”. At Aquinas, Piper is on the girls’ swim and dive team and is also in the art club and KEY Club. She’s used to having so much to do during high school that she has learned how to get through work, sports, homework while still having time to spend with friends. Piper has had a lot of jobs during her time in highschool. She has only been a dental assistant for around six months. Before this, she worked as a gymnastics instructor at Diamond Academy Gymnastics, a barista at Scooters, and was a lifeguard for three years. Alongside her current job, she also works as a grocery shopper for Instacart. Piper is very devoted to her work and works every day after school. Her job “makes [her] want to work harder because it makes [her] want to chase [her] dream of being a dentist in [her] future that much more.”

Getting the Job Done!

Piper is doing her work at Leawood Cosmetic and Family Dentistry. She works there as a dental assistant Photo coutesy of Piper Lindsey.

Easter Issue

Ellie Ward Wouldn’t it be fun to play with puppies all day? Ask Ellie Ward because she works at a vet clinic! Well, she does more than just play with puppies; Ellie works as a vet tech assistant. Ellie works at Stanley Vet Clinic as a vet tech assistant. She started working there in April of last year and does various jobs to help the vet techs and works at the front desk. A normal day for Ellie could look like many different things. If she’s working up at the front desk she is making appointments, checking patients in or out, bringing dogs out to their owners, and filling food orders. If she’s back with the vet tech, she could be helping them give shots or nail trims. She could also be weighing dogs before their appointments or cleaning kennels. Ellie’s favorite part about her job is “getting to hold all the newborn puppies and kittens and watch surgeries.” Ellie has gotten the special opportunity to observe surgeries and learn about how surgeries on animals are done. Though Ellie’s job seems all cute and fuzzy, there are some difficult parts that Ellie has to go through. The toughest part about her job is having to experience the animals being put down. When an animal is put down, the vet makes a claw paw print of the animal that they give to the owner. Ellie’s job when an animal is put down is to tie ribbons around the claw paw prints. It’s very sad for her because she has to see the upset owners

Furry Friend

Ellie poses with one of her client’s puppies. Photo courtesy of Ellie Ward.

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losing their pet.

“Although I had to experience a lot of dogs being put down I also got to experience a lot of puppies being born so it made up for it.” Ellie Ward One of the reasons Ellie loves her job is because she wants

to become a veterinarian one day. Working at a vet clinic gives her a lot of prior experience that will help her in the future. The memories of Ellie working at the vet clinic are what will motivate her through vet school. Though Ellie is also busy with other things like school and cross country, she still finds time to fit in her job. Ellie only works during the summer and on breaks so her job doesn’t get in the way of her studies or any other priority. Ellie thinks her job helps her because it gives her an insight into the working world and becoming a vet.

What do other STa Students work as? “Barista/cashier at the Marketplace at Meadowbrooke” Ann Cole “I am a farm hand-I take care of horses and do lots of farm work” Catie Berkemeier

“Server/dishbus at Spin Pizza”

“I deliver beverages to gas stations and restaurants” Joe Patton

“I score basketball and volleyball games at my old grade school” Mary Kate Phelan

Timmy Novacek “Working at Chipotle” Hailey Krumm

Lilli Tyler

Reporter

Easter Issue

Baby yoda started covid

Jewish Space lasers

COVID is A HOAX

the Truth sets you free

A page riddled with conspiracy theories tries to capture a Morpho butterfly, but the butterfly escapes through a hole. Some conspiracy theories (like the ones above) are misleading, and, when accepted as factual, they could become a threat to public safety. Photo inspired by Fuss Sergey.

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The Shield does not endorse or support any of the conspiracy theories mentioned in this article due to their unreliability and lack of confirmation that they are accurate. Some of these conspiracy theories can and have threatened the health and safety of the general public, and The Shield wants to shed light on the dangers of these discriminatory conspiracy theories because they can easily be accepted as factual. The Shield does not condone any theory that falsely accuses

people of criminal offenses or any form of violence towards them. The Shield advises you not to accept the conspiracy theories or speculations on the next pages as factual for your safety. Please sufficiently research before believing something is true and do not rely on one source. The sole purpose of the article is to discover what conspiracy theories Aquinas students have heard about and to hear their

input on this issue in light of recent events. There is a debate simulation where students argued a side on the moon landing conspiracy theory, and the Shield is hiding their identities in the debate section in order to respect their privacy. Thank you to the 161 students that responded to our survey! - The Shield

SEEING YEllow

Digging deeper into what conspiracies Aquinas students have heard about and their thoughts.

anipulating people is not hard. It is as easy as spreading butter on a piece of toast. For example, let us say a random person tweets out Grogu (or more widely accepted as “Baby Yoda”) from Walt Disney Company’s “The Mandalorian” started COVID-19 to start a fight, and this accusation blows up on social media. This sounds weird. This Tweet could be accepted to be true despite there being no evidence to support it. What is a conspiracy theory?

A conspiracy theory explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators. The theory can assert that a secret of great importance is being kept from the public. Dr. Dolores Albarracín is a professor of psychology, medicine, and business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who is a scholar known to study attitudes, communication, and behavior. She also taught at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida, and she has received awards for her groundbreaking research.

Since it is constantly retweeted, some people may assume it must be true. Unfortunately, there may be some people who reply to the Tweet saying the Walt Disney Company is to blame for starting COVID-19. This would be easier to believe since the company is real, and blaming people for problems is easier than accepting reality. People who want to protect their lives from harm and threats could go as far as attacking Disney employees or raiding Disney headquarters because of one lie. One Tweet. Baby Yoda is a fic-

tional character! Disney did not start the cornavirus! A lie, even as crazy as Baby Yoda creating COVID-19, can become dangerous. Even though the Tweet was accepted to be true, the person who first tweeted this absurdity had. no. evidence. to. support. the. Tweet. Lies can destroy lives. People can be manipulated so easily, and some people do not care about injustice unless they recieve it. The most dangerous entity to trust is not a conspiracy theory or a Tweet. It is the person living in the mirror.

HOW TO DETERMINE FACT VS Fiction�

is that Facebook and YouTube are the equivalent of McDonald’s banning the case of your media diet. So you should not be using either of the social media as the main sources of news. If you see something on Twitter, go and read it on the New York Times page because that’s an actual reputable source of information on actual events. So that would be probably the number one aspect, where to consume the news. And then the strategies of check parallel sources, don’t stay with just one and slow down. But I think the number one would be don’t read news on Facebook, go to a newspaper.

WHEN READING? Albarracin: Yeah. So I think there are two aspects and probably paying attention to what you’re reading and slowing down is one. But generally, it comes down to certain behavioral skills like for any other behavior. So if you think of changing your diet, right? What do we do to teach people to change what they eat? Well, you tell them how to shop and what choices to make and so on. I tell them, “Don’t shop this 7-Eleven down the street or don’t shop when you’re hungry.” So for media diets, we have the same exact problem. So the first thing to communicate and train people in,

(Live interview by American Psychological Association)

SURVEY RESULTS (161 students responded)

DID CAROLE BASKIN KILL HER HUSBAND?

Yes

Who is Carole Baskin?

125

22 Spring Issue

Here are some reasons why people think that Apollo 11 was faked. As we know, we were in the space race against the Soviet Union and at the time the US would do anything to beat them. However, at the time many believe that we didn’t have the technology or time to beat the Soviets so we faked it and shot a fake moon landing. ----The flag appears to be waving in the wind, which is impossible with no atmosphere. ---Shadows cast by objects on the surface point in different directions, which proves there were several light sources – as in a TV studio. --A moon rock photographed during Apollo 11’s mission is marked with the letter C. It’s possible that it is a prop from the set. ---There are no stars visible in any pictures.

The Moon Landing Was Fake

Over 40,000 people worked on the project to send the moon lander to the moon, and I don’t think they would all keep their mouth shut. Also, we have actual rocks from the moon brought back by the crew. Some people say that the moon landing can’t be real because the flag was flapping in the wind. NASA specifically designed flags so that the flags would flap in the wind for a good photo. They installed space equipment on the moon. There are so many reasons why the moon landing is [said to be] fake, and it’s honestly insulting to the great accomplishments of the American space program.

THOUGHTS ON CONSPIRACY THEORIES “Imagine seeing a video saying you were gonna die soon pop up on your FYP. Scary. I also remember seeing a conspiracy video about how the world was going to end soon, and at the time, this really freaked me out. Making up stories about serious topics like this could cause a lot of anxiety for people, which is something harmful for mental health, and unnecessary especially when a theory isn’t even true.” Anna Stoll

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“The teachers have always encouraged us to not just believe what we hear and to search out the facts in-

conspiracies are really funny, and most people say it as a joke. Conspiracy theories like the moon landing are not really jokes, and stead.” [they] hurt the progress [of] legitimate groundEmily Eckerberg breaking scientists. I think Aquinas should support the truth. I don’t know ex“Conspiracy theories can actly what Aquinas should be funny for a while, but do about this, but Aquinas when they contradict the should support the truth.” hard work of lots of people, then it’s frankly insultAaron Scaletty ing. For example, the Birds Aren’t Real conspiracy, and the Dihydrogen Monoxide

Conspiracy Theories STUDENTS HAVE HEARD ABOUT: Aliens in Area 51

Denver airport

Kim Jung-un died

Moon landing was fake

Earth is flat

Chip in COVID-19 vaccine

Michael Jackson is still alive

The royal family killed off Princess Diana

Our galaxy is a failed aliens’ experient

Mattress Firms

Sinking of Titanic was planned

COVID-19 is not real

Hellen Keller was not real

Jewish space lasers Tupac is still alive

Birds are robots Hitler faked his suicide Illuminati Major is dead Mandela Effect Joe Exotic is innocent

QAnon

WARNING:

These theories HAVE NOT been confirmed to be accurate by a reliable source.

wHAT DO STUDENTS SPECULATE IS IN AREA 51? Aliens

I don’t know

Walt Disney’s frozen body

Atomic bombs

Garbage or debis

Just a regular military base

Frozen people to bring back in the future

Couldn’t tell you Military weapons

Michael Jackson Not aliens John Cena

Highly classified government secrets

Weird stuff

The frog on the unicycle

A building

The recipe for the Krabby Patty

No clue Nothing Sheds The fifty-first state Smart people Human experiments Maybe an infinity stone A UFO Carole Baskin’s husband Sketchy stuff

Wreckage from crashed UFOs and possibly their passengers

Harambe Everything Cameron Elias Reporter

Spring Issue

Brighten your day and color away

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MArvel MAdness Thor Ragnarok

Compete with your friends and see what wins!

Captain Marvel Antman

Hulk

Dr. Strange

Ironman

C.A. Civil War

Black Panther

WINNER

Thor Spiderman

Captain America Avengers

Guardians of the Galaxy Ant Man and The Wasp

Easter Issue

Opinion

Theology: The study of God

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Theology is taught by God, teaches God, and leads to God. - St. Thomas Aquinas people know what they There is great importance believe, why they believe placed in theological education in it, and how to defend those beliefs. Catholic high schools. Theology classes are a way for students to get 3. Studying theology teaches people how to properly to know and love read, interpret, God. A theological and understand curriculum allows God’s Word. students to 4. Studying understand the theology matures meaning of their people in their faith and how to faith. incorporate it into 5. Studying their daily lives. theology teaches There are people how to love many things others completely. students should be At Aquinas, getting out of their we have a theology theology classes. A department full few are: of teachers who 1. Studying are passionate theology helps Ian Prange about their faith people know God and want us to develop that same more. passion. 2. Studying theology helps

“Personally, I love when teachers are real with students about their faith. When they share real experiences rather than textbook knowledge, I learn a lot better.”

Retreat Photoshoot

Theology classes at Aquinas encourage students to go on spiritual retreats to grow closer to God. Ian Prange attended a retreat at St. Michael the Archangel. Photo courtesy of Ian Prange.

Our teachers are very eager to teach the faith to us. Students like how the teachers allow them to have a place to be public about their faith and develop a relationship with God. They enjoy learning more about the history of their faith and learning ways to get closer to God. Senior Ian Prange especially likes the personal touch that teachers add in their classrooms. He said, “Personally, I love when teachers are real with students about their faith. When they share real experiences rather than textbook knowledge, I learn a lot better.” Senior Kate Weisner expresses a lot of gratitude towards the theology department and curriculum. Weisner explains, “I think that the theology teachers at Aquinas set up the best atmosphere to learn about Jesus in. In my opinion, they are some of the best teachers we have and they are all so knowledgeable about their faith. I could ask any question about anything to do with theology and they would either answer it confidently or say ‘I don’t know, but I’ll do some research on it.’ I respect them for that because sometimes it’s hard to say that as a teacher and it shows that they truly care about our faith.” While it’s very important for Catholics to have theology classes, each person’s faith is a personal journey. Not everyone learns and understands theology the same way. Some people enjoy discussions while others prefer a more individual approach. Some might find certain aspects more

Spring Issue

March for Life

The Pro-Life movement is a huge part of theology curriculum. Some Aquinas students attended the March for Life in January of 2020 in Washington DC. Photos courtesy of Ann Cole and Kate Weisner.

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interesting than others sounds interesting to you, take A high school’s theological Mr. Farnan’s “World Religions” curriculum isn’t going to be able to class senior year! In that class we be 100% effective on every single discuss religions from ancient student. There are some things Central American religions to Native students would enjoy seeing more American Religions to modern day or seeing less of in their own faith religions from all over the world.) journey. Maybe the Sometimes curriculum simply it’s hard to get needs to have a students excited little updating done about learning to it. Prange said, about theology. “I would change Junior Ann the curriculum Cole proposes to better fit the “[changing] all the modern teenager, notes and [making] because I feel them a little more like it’s geared interactive.” This towards kids that could be a way to went through high make kids more school 20 years excited to learn. ago.” Mary Glasgow A class full Today’s high of notetaking can make students school experience is one very unexcited to go to that specific different from the one 20 years class. Even if the material is ago. Students might just need a interesting, it’s hard for students to curriculum that lines up more with be interested and excited to learn it. their personal experiences today, A more interactive classroom helps rather than those of someone in the students truly learn the material in past. If students feel like the can a way that excites them. relate to what is being taught, they Freshmen Mary Glasgow said are more likely to incorporate it into that she thinks a wider range of their lives. religions could be Weisner said interesting. She that having more said, “I would discussions in incorporate other class could be religions on top helpful. She of Catholicism a said, “I know little more so the that many of students get more my peers have of a range of how questions about other people the faith and I worship and think that a more prioritize their discussion style Kate Weisner god(s) in their theology class lives.” would allow students to open up This could lead to a better and discuss their faith life and understanding of other cultures ask more questions. It would be a and religions that we encounter more laid back atmosphere instead throughout our lives. It could also of popcorn reading out of a book allow us to see similarities between because, honestly, no one pays our religion and others. (If this attention when reading out of a

“I would incorporate other religions on top of Catholicism more so students get more of a range of how other people worship and prioritize their god(s) in their lives.”

“I feel like I’m in a no judgement zone in theology. I know that I can truly discover myself and God in that classroom.”

book or doing assignments.” Having more discussions would allow students to feel more comfortable in their classroom and this can help them be more open. Asking more questions could help them better understand the material. Having discussions in a classroom packed with 20+ students sitting in rows is not easy. Smaller classes would allow discussions to flow easily, it would give the classroom a comfier atmosphere, and students would stay more focused as well. Overall, there are a few things that could help make theology classes come alive for students: 1. Using stories. When teachers use their stories and make a class personal, students will remember more, relate more, and learn lessons through them. 2. Asking good questions. Asking questions rather than giving answers helps students make connections and think deeply. 3. Connecting theology to their lives. Making the content students are learning relate to their lives will make it much easier for them to learn and incoroprate what they learn into their lives. There’s not a single way that is going to be the perfect learning style for every single student. Some things will work for some students but not for others. It’s important students are working to get the most out of their theology classes so that they truly get to know God and His message in order to spread His light and love to others.

Maria Palazuelos Reporter

Spring Issue

Last look Photo by Kelsey Lelei (Medallion Yearbook Staff)

Photo by Sarah Anliker (Medallion yearbook staff)

Photo by Hannah Bellau (Medallion Yearbook Staff)

Photo by Emma Brooks (Medallion yearbook staff)

Photo by Michele Gress Photo by Sarah Anliker

Photo by Ellie Ward (Medallion Yearbook Staff)

Photo by Hannah Koepp (Medallion Yearbook Staff)