Volume 57 Issue 6
February 2014
1970
2014
The Miegian shows love for Miege fans in honor of Valentines Day p. 8 & 9
By: AndrewGleason
staff writer
Miege students are accustomed to seeing Concert Chorale, often referred to simply as the Miege
choir, perform at school Mass. But
students should expect to see the
group much more often, as theyre
now traveling to various archdiocesan parishes on Sundays.
On Sunday, Jan. 12, Concert Chorale
kicked off the annual choir visits at a
St. Pius Mass. Students typically sing
songs that the parish director has preselected for the liturgy, but prepare
the songs Ubi Caritas and Precious
Lord to sing during the offertory and
communion reflection.
St. Pius included, the group has
already traveled to four parishes to
by the Archdiocese approximately three blocks Arlington National Cemetery. In addition to visiting
By: EricBuckels
from the Capitol Plaza where the March for Life the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the travelers wittook place. St. James, Bishop Ward and other Kansas nessedtwo burials taking place, one accompanied
staff writer
City-based youth groups joined them there. Aqui- by a flyover of four F/A-18C Hornets because the
The 55 Miegians who traveled to D.C. for nas stayed at a different hotel.
man being buried was a fallen member of the Air
the Pro- Life March Jan. 22 were not the only Kan- Weather on the March was anything but pleas- Force.LoganMacek, junior, said,The visit remindsans attending the March. In fact, the entire March ant. The day before the March, meteorologists were ed me freedom is not free, and that many men and
procession was led by Archbishop Joseph Naumann predicting four to eight inches of snow and sub- women have laid down their lives for this country.
of Kansas City, Kansas,
zero wind chills. Theology
It was a moment I
along with 386 students
teacher Mr. Ross Dessert rewill not soon forfromBenedictine Colcalled, Aswe were coming
get.
lege of Atchison, Kansas.
into D.C., we already knew
Although the
Benedictine had
the schools and federal govNational
Parks
been chosen to lead the
ernment were being shut
Service no longer
March because of Benedown due to weather. Therereleases
official
dictine alum Bishop Anfore, the majority of the sitecounts of marchdre Cozzens of St. Paulseeingwas on Tuesday;stuers, it is generMinneapolis.
Bishop
dents visited all of the major
ally agreed that
Cozzens has become a
monumentsMondayeve- Seniors Gina Avitia, Lauren Lanter and more than 500,000
Miege was represented at the annual
prominent figure in the
ning.Tuesdaythey visited the Kate Poulose at the march. This years people participatMarch for Life by a group of about 55
March for Life because
Smithsonian museums, which theme was adoption.
ed last year, and
students. Photos by Brenna Albritton
of his personal story as
were open because they are private.
weather notwithstanding, a similar number was
having been a baby who was almost aborted. His About the weather, senior Alex Perez said posi- expected this year. The official theme for the 2014
parentswere told by doctorsthat their unborn child tively, Althougha little annoying at times, every- March was adoption.Pope Francis had tweeted his
would be a freak, and they should abort him. His one seemed to enjoy the trip, and it was not a major support on the morning of the March, I join the
parents ardently rejected the idea, and shortly after problem. Then with a laugh he added other than March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May
Cozzens was born healthy.
being slightly frostbitten.
God help us respect all life, especially the most vul Mieges contingent stayed in a hotel rented out As the group headed out of town, they stopped at nerable.
Page 2
www.bishopmiege.com
www.bishopmiege.com
Page 3
Health Updates
Sister Martina reports that her recovery is making progress--but very slowly. She says it will be on
Gods good time, but she is still thinking of everyone at Miege and sends Valentines wishes to all.
Heart surgery Tuesday on senior theology teacher Mr. Bill Creach went well, and at press time
Wednesday he was resting comfortably in ICU.
Lemon Club
Auction
Emerald City
News
Shorts
Blood Drive
ACT/PSAT
AP Art
Several AP art studentsTony Arellano, Emily Feierabend, Nate Infen and Emma
Lambiare taking on a new assignment this
semester that will challenge their creativity.
Popular shoe company Vans is hosting a contest for high schoolers all over the country. The
company sends any school that enters four
blank Vans shoes and asks them to come up
with a unique and personal design for each.
Designs are entered between Feb. 28
to April 7. After this the Vans staff will narrow
it down to 50 semi-finalists, to be announced
April 25. Then the public votes on which shoes
they like the best. The top 5 finalists will win
an all expense paid trip to New York City.
There they will find out which school wins
the $50,000 prize for first place to go to the
schools art program. The runners-up will receive $4,000.
By: EricBuckels
staff writer
Schools across the Kansas City Metro
were cancelled Feb
4, 5 and 6. The snow
started falling during the morning of
Feb. 4, and it did not
stop until late into the
night. Snowfall totals
ranged from 8-11 inches across the metro.
Thursday school was
cancelled due to extremely low temperatures with wind chills
below zero.
With
this
break came the fear of
Page 4
Editor-in-Chief
In any club, sports team, group, or cast,
there are people behind the scenes working
tirelessly to reach the ideal end result. In robotics
every member is important and essential to the
groups success, and just like a drama production
or athletic state tournament, the big show only
comes once a year. The pressures on for Team
1997, as their show is fast-approaching, with the
FIRST Robotics Competition scheduled for Friday,
March 14.
The event will be held at the host
institution, the Metropolitan Community College
of Business & Technology. It will feature 58 high
By: JennieLittleton
SADD
Page 5
F E A T U R E S
When we were 17 (ish)...
When/Where did you first meet? Did someone introduce you two or
did it just happen?
On a sunny afternoon on Lowry Mall in front of Ellis Library at the
University of Missouri in Columbia.
What high school and college did you each attend?
Ms. Salazar- St. Teresas Academy in KC, Neosho H.S. In Neosho,
Missouri, and Missouri University.
Mr. Emory- McAuley H.S. In Joplin, Missouri, and Missouri
University.
When and where did you first go out?
We went to see The Big Lebowski on April Fools Day. Who the joke
was on is still open for debate.
Did you hang out together before you started dating?
No. Love at first sight.
For Mr. Emory: How did you ask out Ms. Salazar?
I told her, This is crazy, heres my number, call me maybe (It really
did happen somewhat like that.)
For Ms. Salazar: What was your reaction when Mr. Emory asked you
out?
Excited & flattered
Describe what type of couple you were?
Laid back lots of movies, live music and romantic dinners.
Caption
This...
We took this picture to the hallways and asked
students to come up with a caption that best
suits it.
Not
staff writer
www.bishopmiege.com
Page 7
Merrill.
Arguably the leader of the
student section, Mackey strives
to attend all the Miege events
he can. Because I cant be
out there on the field or
court, I want to give the
players something they
will remember forever.
Our student section is the best,
our teams are the best, and
together we are strong.
Miege's cheerleaders, including Emery Crosby, Evie McArthur, Sydney Hendrix and Carly
White, are the spark at every sporting event, and the fire they light is fanned by phenomenal
Stag spirit. We continue our salutes and recognition on p. 11 and p. 15. The photo of current
fans on p. 1 is by Jamie Franklin.
Page 8
www. bishopiege.comopmiege.com
February 14 , 2014
Brownie:
Staggering Thoughts
By: JennieLittleton
Editor-in-Chief
If you have ever attended a Miege basketball game,
chances are, you had a chance to see Mr. Dwight J. Brown.
Don't recognize the name? How about "Brownie"?
An older man never seen without his cap and plastic
bag of "Original Bubble Gum," Brownie is a staple when it
comes to Stag basketball.
Though he says he prefers girls' basketball over boys',
Brownie first came to Miege while he was following former
Miege coach Rick Zych's career. He then "found a special
interest in Bishop Miege and loved the way Terry English
fought for his team and coached his girls," while attending
the 1995 5A State tournament.
But then, why is Brownie so entralled in basketball?
Asked why he chose this sport over any other, he replied,
"I've got 55 years of basketball behind me." His love for
the sport shines in the spotlight of his decades of dedication to his teams.
It all started when Mr. Brown was attending Bishop
Ward High School a few moons ago, where
he would attend the games regularly, and
was given his name "Brownie." He
eventually started to find a connection with Wyandotte High School,
and, yet there was something extraspecial in basketball run by coaches
Zych and English.
When interviewed for a Miegian article in 2006, Brownie attested
his love for Miege ran deep, "I've just
started handing out gum to the other
schools; everyone seems to know me
now, and it brings me great joy to see
kids from other schools appreciate me,
too. But nothing compares to Miege. I
love everyone at Miege, the students,
the faculty, the fans."
No one else compares to Brownie
when it comes to fandom. He is the
trophy in the case of dedication to a
team, something for any fan to aspire
to. He "gets a real good charge out of
watching (the team) play," everytime he
comes.He is the real and true definition
of the "#1 Fan."
www.bishopmiege.com
Page 9
O P I N I O N
PDA Really Grinds My Gears
By: MaureenMurphy
staff writer
PDA, also known as public display of
affection, really frays my nerves sometimes. It just
needs to be known that Valentines Day or not, its
not okay to make out and climb all over each other
in public. Yes, a couple of hugs and maybe a peck
on the lips is not a big deal, but nobody wants to
see behavior that would upset your mother taking
place at the locker next to yours.
In a co-ed school its bound to happen.
Two people are dating and just cant see enough
of each other. The school planner says that any act
of public affection will be verbally corrected on
from war.
School is not a place for these kinds of
things. It never fails to catch me off guard to see
couples acting gross when Im half asleep on a
Monday morning. Do they even think about what
others are feeling? Because this is not just me who
is annoyed with these people.
Although this problem annoys me the most
at school, its not something that only occurs at
Miege. It can happen in any public place. People
being all lovey dovey around each other will make
others uncomfortable regardless of if its at school
or in public. Not to come across as someone who is
cold-hearted and doesnt like seeing others in love,
but some things are just meant to be private.
Staggering Thoughts
Who or what do you love and why?
Stags football, because Coach Kobo is funny. Antonio Franco (9)
I love pretty socks because I like to stand out in the crowd. Sydney Hedrix (10)
Nutella, because its yummy yummy for my tummy. Rachel Lavery (9)
I love Jennifer Lawrence because she brightens my day everyday. Jackson Kurtz (12)
Mountain biking because its like my own personal fight club. Mr. Allen Thomas
I love Sagin Churchman Danny Murphy (10)
I love this Doo. Sagin Churchman (11)
Page 10
www. bishopmiege.com
By: AndrewJezak
staff writer
There is one experience for every athlete that is
utterly incomparable: home-field advantage. The familiar
playing ground, the calls favoring the home team, and
the biggest asset, the crowda spirited, devoted and
boisterous bunch that adds its own element to the game.
By exerting psychological pressure on athletes to always
perform at an elite level, the crowd can cause stress and
anxiety to the visiting players that make everyone say,
What was he even thinking?
But what else do the fans do for the players?
Lets take a look at it from several
angles, the high school athlete, the
professional athlete and the coach.
According to sophomore
football player Dawson Downing,
The crowd adds energy and
excitement to the game to help
everyone play to the best of their
potential. Led by head coach
Nancy Weber, the cheerleaders
at Miege direct their faithful
followers in interactive cheers
including a fan favorite, Down to
the River.
Even in less traditional
cheering situations, fans have an
impact. My cross country fans
truly help me to attain a level of
excellence I never thought was
humanly possible, stated senior
Joe Hague.
Tradition holds true
throughout every year at Miege,
I remember watching the games
as a little kid and seeing the gym
packed just as it is now with just
at much spirit, said senior Nate
Mohler.
The crowd at Miege
undoubtedly influences the players
to prepare a mental focus allowing
them to play their the best, but also
gives the players a chance to have
some fun. Sophomore basketball
players Shelbe Piggie and Tristen
McFeders said, The crowd helps
build momentum and controls the
February 14, 2014
www.bishopmiege.com
Page 11
IEGE SPORTS
according to the sole senior leader, Lexie Villegas, sophomores Tristen McFedders and Shelbe Piggie,
winning our games wasnt easy.
junior
Madeline
Starting point guard and sopho
The
tournament
ran
from
Jan.
30
to
Feb.
Homoly,
and seEditor-in-Chief
more Shelbe Piggie handles the
1, one game each day. The first game came
nior Lexie Villegas.
basketball with quick thinking
against Olathe Northwest, where the Stags
The score
Although the
and speedy feet as she leads vartook
care
of
the
Ravens
71-43.
The
more
went
back
and
Lady Stags are about
sity in nearly every game.
daunting
challenge,
and
one
of
our
toughforth,
with
the
a month away from
Photo by Brenna Albritton
est
opponents,
according
to
Villegas,
was
Stags
holding
the
the start of the State
Bishop Carroll.
lead until halftournament, looking at
According
to
Jeffrey
Graber,
a
freelance
time, which had
their recent past fuels
writer
for
www.catchitkansas.com,
the
the score tied at
firm hopes that they are
semifinals
proved
that
both
teams
showed
21. The girls had
again a State-contendgood
defense.
Villegas
described
Carroll
forced about 9
ing team.
as,
tall
and
very
physical.
With
the
final
turnovers
and
To
summaquarter
of
the
game
beginning
in
43-point
were
about
56%
rize since last issue,
tie, Miege shut down Carroll, only allowing
in scoring on their
their record has grown
2
points
on
their
way
to
the
53-45
win
and
a
possessions.
to 12-3, losses only to
shot
at
the
finals.
Though
St. Thomas Aquinas
Kapaun
Mt.
Carmel,
fourth-ranked
in
5A
the game looked
(twice) and Blue Valley
by
the
Kansas
Basketball
Coaches
Associapromising in favor
North. One of the most
tion
(KBCA),
just
below
St.
Thomas
Aquiof Miege, the score
important points, as the
nas,
went
into
the
championship
game
with
came out with
girls rarely, if ever, see
a
record
of
18-1,
and
ranked
eight
in
KanAquinas in the
a small class team, has
sas
by
www.maxpreps.com.
This
challenge
lead, 46-38. This
been that the team was
would
require
yet
another
showing
of
dewas the last game
ranked number one in
fense
for
the
Lady
Stags,
and
they
showed
against the rivals
small class girls high
up.
Villegas
explained,
Our
defense
helped
for the season.
school basketball agian
us
win
because
with
our
press
we
made
the
Next Friby the Kansas City
other
team
turn
the
ball
over
which
in
turn
day,
Feb.
21, the
Star Feb. 7. The biggest
created
a
lot
of
fastbreaks.
The
game
would
girls
will
face
off
achievement they have
end
with
Miege
on
top,
45-41,
champions
against
Blue
Valgoing for them? The A prominent presence on the
ley at home. The
girls went to Newton court, junior Madeline Homo- again of the Newton Invitational.
Being
back-to-back
Newton
Champions
night will honor
and won three straight ly contributed 13 points in the
is
a
great
feelling,
said
a
proud
Villegas,
essenior Lexie Villeagainst very tough and game against Aquinas.
pecially
because
we
lost
to
Kapaun
in
the
first
gas,
as
she
is
the
only
senior
on
the
team.
high class opponents to Photo by Brenna Albritton
round
of
State
last
year,
and
we
beat
them
in
the
Miege
is
currently
ranked
second in 4Abe named the Newton
chamionship
in
Newton
this
year.
D1
by
the
KBCA,
just
behind
Wamego
High School.
Invitational Champions for the second year in a
Miege
came
back
home
to
play
Blue
Valley
A
downside
to
entering
this
new
4A
tournament,
row.
West
Feb.
7,
67-26,
but
really
focused
on
their
upMiege
has
yet
to
see
any
of
the
teams
during this
After a hard-to-watch Jan. 27, 68-76 loss to
coming
match
versus
rival
Aquinas
at
home.
season.
One
thing
is
for
sure
whoever
the Stags
BVN at BVN, the team reconfigured and prepared
The
crowd
was
energized,
as
were
the
playplay
in
the
State
tournament,
it
is
sure
to
be
a heck
to meet some grueling opponents in Newton. They
ers.
Starters
included
freshman
Hunter
Bentley,
of
a
show.
would face off against pretty good teams, and,
By: JennieLittleton
Page 12
www.bishopmiege.com
Boys swimming just keeps
on rolling and rolling.
With State quickly
approaching, the Stags
have focused their
efforts on that final
goal.
Quality wins
at the right time are
boosting the teams
confidence.
The crew had
their best win of the
season on Jan. 25 at the
Blue Valley Southwest
Invitational. The Stags
placed first of 16 teams Junior Matt Wiese swims at BVN.
Photo by Jamie Franklin
and won by 84 points.
With their dominant victory came a Wirtz placed third in the 50 and 100
little publicity. The team was chosen as free. Louie Carter, Jack Wirtz, Mackey
the Fox 4 HyVee team of the week; they Merrill and Jeff Martin placed second
appeared
in the 200
on TV on
free relay.
Feb.
4.
T h e
It
was
b o y s
neat to be
next meet is at State on Feb. 21,
the first swim team ever, said senior 22, 23. We have a lot of potential
teammate Jack Wirtz, it just goes to heading into State, said senior Adam
Bowling has been striking
the
competition
this
season,
putting
on
several solid
individual
performances.
Most
impressive of
these has been
senior Stephen
Langley, who
has knocked down 2572 pins so far.
Close behind him is sophomore Matt
Daly, with 1949. Leading the girls is
senior Remi McDonald, with 1639
knocked down, despite suffering a
series of injuries.
At the most recent meet at Park
Lanes on Jan. 27, the boys and
girls both came in second behind
St. James. Weve been making
improvements as the season goes
www.bishopmiege.com
Page 13
Boys basketball has been performing admirably so far despite injuries, distractions, and a lack
of veteran players. Even with these obstacles they
have managed to stay competitive, if not overly
dominant. We started slow because were young,
but were getting better every day, said senior
McKinley Johnson.
While they have put on some solid individual
performances thus far this season, the main area
the Stags have struggled in is building momentum.
They have yet to win back-to-back games, following
With every great victory at
Miege comes an extremely time-consuming and tedious task. Mrs. Maura
Peterson, Miege school nurse, knows all
about that. She assembles the unique
sports banners that hang from the gyms
rafters.
Kristen Agar
With the wrestling season winding
to an end, the team has their eyes set on
the EKL, Regional and State competitions.
Coach Dave Eller said, The team has been
working hard and continues to get better
every day; they are ready for these last
three competitions. There are three wrestlers who have above 500 records.
The team has been practicing five
days a week, and they also condition every
Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 - 7:30 a.m.
Ryan Madrigal, senior, said, Although the
workouts are hard, they should pay off in
the end, and we are in great shape because
Page 14
of them.
On Feb. 15 both the varsity and
junior varsity squads will compete at the
EKL tournament at Blue Valley. Coach
Eller said, The EKL is difficult, but hopefully we will have five or six wrestlers who
place. Junior Hunter Friesen added, I
think we will have good results from EKL
and Regionals. The toughest team we have
faced was probably Holton, who is ranked
number one in 4A.
The team is led by seniors Ryan
Madrigal and Sean Maxwell, who both
made it to State last year. The season is
going well because of our strong group of
seniors and our underclass students who
have to work extra hard to fill in where
they are needed, Eller said.
www.bishopmiege.com
Each banner is made from the
strongest felt Mrs. Peterson can find. She
inherited the state pattern from previous seamstresses, It has been used for
years, she said. Typically, each banner
takes about 25-30 hours to prepare. You
have to trace and cut out each piece and
the sew them on individually. The football teams are the hardest because they
win so many titles like Regionals and
Districts and State.
Banners documenting the successful Miege tradition hang from walls and
rafters in the gym. Photo by Eric Buckels
She took over the job after Mrs.
Mrs. Peterson strives to complete the
Rose Mary Walsh, past home economics
banners before each teams banquet.
teacher, and science teacher Scott Ander- It makes it a bit challenging, but well
sons wife, Mona. I dont recall how
worth it, stated Peterson, I recently
I got the job specifically, if I heard that
received a picture of the soccer team
they were looking for someone to take it
holding their banner. I enjoy seeing the
over or if Mr. Bohaty asked me because
smiles of the teammates holding what
I like to sew, said Mrs. Peterson, either
they so beautifully earned. The first
way, it has been a while.
time I saw a championship team hold
their banner was when my
nephew was on the State
Championship football
team. It was very special.
The endless hours and
craftsmanship of the banners does not go without
praise throughout the
Miege community. Sophomore Nolan Gray chimed
in, The banners are a
great testament to Mieges
history, and it brings the
whole gym together.
The soccer team sees their banner for the first time
at their banquet. Photo provided by Maura Peterson
There is always one constant in Miege sports; rain or shine,
fall or winter, hot or cold, the Miege
cheerleaders are always there
encouraging the Stags. The
season includes long hours
of practice starting in the dog
days of summer and continuing into the freezing days of
late winter. The cheerleaders
are always helping the student section to be one of the
loudest in the area.
Cheer season begins
in June with workouts from
8 - 10 a.m., Maddy Stroder,
junior, said, The first day of
workouts was the worst day
of my life, she quietly added, I threw up. During the
summer they also attended
cheer camp, which lasted for
four days. The camps include learning cheers and new stunts with other
cheer squads from around Kansas.
Franklin
www.bishopmiege.com
Jamie Franklin
Page 15
Ever
wanted
to try curling? Ever felt
the need to race across
ice at up to about 37 mph
only supported by razorsharp skates? If youve
been watching the 2014 Sochi Olympics, you may have
seen the commercials for finding
places near you to try out the
Winter Olympic sports. Using www.nbcolympics.com/goldmap, and some local knowledge, The Miegian found the places to
be if you want to be a future winter Olympian from the Midwest.
Curl
...in Missouri
Kansas City Curling Club @
Line Creek Community Center
5940 NW Waukomis Drive
KCMO 64151
www.kccurling.com
Speed Skate
...in Missouri
St. Louis Speedskating Club
550 Weidman Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63131
Hockey
...in Kansas
KC Ice Center
19900 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, Kansas 66218
www.kcicecenter.com/
...in Missouri
Line Creek Community Center
5940 NW Waukomis Drive
Kansas City, Missouri 64151
...in Kansas
Air Capital Speedskating Club
505 W. Maple St.
Wichita, KS 67213
Snowboard/Ski
...in Missouri
Hidden Valley Ski Team
18518 Dogwood Acres Lane
Wildwood, MO 63005
Now...
Go
For
Gold!
Ice Skate
Snow Creek
1 Snow Creek Dr
Weston, MO 64098
www.skisnowcreek.com/
...in Missouri
Line Creek Community Center
5940 NW Waukomis Drive
Kansas City, Missouri 64151
For all of line creeks programs, go to
www.kcparks.org/facility/line-creek
...in Kansas
KC Ice Center
19900 Johnson Drive
Shawnee, Kansas 66218
http://www.kcicecenter.com
Olympic pictogram designer: Otl Aicher