The Prospector

STATE Mock Trial takes silver

By Madison Heid After getting cut from the freshman basketball team, Amanda Brenneman made school history. Brenneman, who discovered powerlifting four years ago, recently won a state championship in the sport. "I worked for four years and then I finally got the title. All of my hard work really paid off," she said. Recently, Brenneman competed in the WHSPA State Championship in Holmen, and lifted her way to a gold medal. She recorded a 300 squat, a 300 dead lift, and a 135 bench press. Her efforts earned the respect of many people, including her fellow Xavier powerlifters. "It's really great that she won. She is the first state champion we've ever had, so I'm proud of her," said junior Nick Reider. Brenneman's athletic achievements haven't always come as easily as lifting the bar. She actually began powerlifting because of a plea from a friend. "In my freshman year I wanted to try out for basketball. I didn't make it. (Senior) Marissa McNelly talked me into joining powerlifting so she wouldn't be the only girl on the team. That's basically how I got into powerlifting," said Brenneman. Brenneman has many different ways that she prepares and psyches herself up before a competition. "I've been doing powerlifting for four years-five days a week, with cardio for two of those days," said Brenneman. Her workout schedule is extremely intense, but she also has some unique before-competition rituals that help maintain momentum. "I have to have my McDonald's breakfast every

March 2006

Brenneman makes history with WHSPA title

morning before a competition-A bacon, egg and cheese biscuit. Also, I always need to have a song stuck in my head before I go to lift," said Brenneman. Her competition was tight, and featured many other female competitors. During the hectic competition, several things were going on at the same time. "I competed with 21 other girls in my 142 weight class. The competition was very close the entire time," said Brenneman. Brenneman has also earned the respect of teachers and staff at Xavier. "I think it's great for the girls of the powerlifting program

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DAY IN THE LIFE OF Solo and Ensemble sings great tune

See State Champ, Page 6

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ACADEMIC APPEAL Non-Catholic students enjoy Xavier education

Area homeless rate reaches 6 percent

By Ashley Beck Although the Fox Valley's average gross adjusted income remains nearly $3,000 above the state average, its growing homelessness rate proves poverty is inescapable. Following a .5 percent increase since 2002, the Fox Cities' poverty rate recently rose to nearly six percent of its total population. According to Debra Cronmiller, executive director of the Appleton Emergency Shelter, a half-percent change can impact society in a large way. "For the people now living in poverty, that's a big difference," she said. Cronmiller attributes the presence of local homelessness to job loss, health problems or mental health issues. "Low income people who have a setback are at risk (for homelessness)," she said. In response to the growing need for temporary housing, several local agencies have stepped up their programs. Both the Appleton Emergency Shelter and Catholic Relief Services for the Green Bay Diocese provide aid to the indigent. The Emergency Shelter offers safe and temporary housing for "at risk" individuals. Although the shelter only houses people on a short-term basis, its services provide the means to help them escape homelessness permanently. Cronmiller said, "We've developed a whole cadre of support services that help individuals leave homelessness." Charles Hanner, a resident of the shelter for five weeks, experienced its array of these services firsthand. He said, "I got laid off, and I had no other resources. I went straight to the shelter." "They have a lot of resources," he said. "When you get ready to leave, they want to make sure you don't get back in that situation." The Catholic Church's faithbased programs also continue as a primary driving force in combatting homelessness. According to Father Abler of St. Joseph Parish, the Catholic Church has been "the strongest voice in dealing with poverty." Rooted in Scripture, the Church consistently stresses humanity's call to serve the poor. "If we've been blessed," he said, "we are called to share with those who are less fortunate." St. Joseph established a housing program of its own in 1997. "We turned our old convent into a place for people who were trying to get their lives back together."

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SIGNING BONUS More athletes agree to play in college

See Poverty, Page 2

Plans for new practice gym excite students

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SPRING SPIRIT Spring sports lack spectators

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By Alex Suprise Sinceit was announced to the public March 9, the anonymous $900,000 donation to "Forward in Faith" for a new practice gym has conjured up much excitement among the Xavier community. "It's an awesome gift and will have a significant impact on the school," said Mr. Matt Reynebeau. According to Mr. Jim Biesterveld, the gym is to be 114 feet long by 102 feet wide; comparable to the more rectangular Torchy Clark Gymnasium, which is 126 feet

long by 90 feet wide. The new gym will contain two full sized basketball/volleyball courts with space between for team benches and/or cheering fans. An overlapping third court facing the opposite direction will be put to use during Xavier home games. In addition, bleachers located on the east wall of the gym will be pulled out for games that take place on the third court. Tradition is highly valued in the eyes of Xavier students and alumni, who have a special place in their hearts for the existing gym. "I'm glad they're

keeping Torchy Clark as the gym for varsity games," said senior basketball player Kate Kessenich. With extra space available, cheerleading and the dance and drill team no longer will be confined to the commons for practice and wrestling won't have to go to St. Joe's. "It will be much more convenient for us," said sophomore dance and drill team member Dayne Boyer. "We won't have to put the tables up and then back down [in the commons]." Like the rest of the schools in its conference, Xavier will be

able to host multiple volleyball and basketball games simultaneously when it contains two gyms. That means freshman games won't have to begin so early, giving officials and parents with full-time jobs easier access. "I'm not going to be able to reap the benefits," said Kessenich. "But I'm sure having it will help with practice times. It gets inconvenient to have practice early in the morning or late at night." The new gym, fully equipped with a divider curtain, will

See New Gym, Page 7

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News
Xavier and Rhinelander. Only Justices, under the leadership of moderator Mrs. Monica Jones. these two teams progressed on to Chief Justice Shirley "This made it an even harder loss the final round, held the next day. Abrahamson, presided over the to swallow." "I was excited, but I was a little trial. Varsity attorneys Faust, "The Rhinelander rivalry is disappointed that my side of the seniors Heath May and Andy similar to the Xavier, Fox Valley case wasn't Lutheran performr i v a l r y ing," said except we s e n i o r are Fox L o g a n V a l l e y Thein. Lutheran, Until this they lost the year, the Apple Bowl final round again," said had always varsity time e l u d e d keeper senior Xavier, J o h n Photo by Thomas Pranica who has Korevec. Seniors Heath May, Andy Gloss and Tim Faust at the state mock trial meet. qualified for Rhinelander the state competition for the past Gloss provided a solid case in the has controlled the state competifive years. final round, but Rhinelander tion for the last 19 years, having "It was a very different atmos- pulled out the victory, 4-3. been state champions 13 of those phere," said sophomore Marc "This has been the best year. years. As of this year, Lonergan. There was strong team unity and Rhinelander has defended the The seven State Supreme Court great senior leadership," said state title for the last seven con-

March 2006

Split decision grants mock trial team second place

By Thomas Pranica They slept, then they awoke and no one slept for 48 hours. This was the state competition for Xavier's Mock Trial Team. "State is like running a marathon except you're blindfolded and it's in England," said senior captain Tim Faust. Xavier finished second in the state this year, the farthest any Xavier Mock Trial team has gone. The team presented its case in the final round before the Justices of the State Supreme Court at the Capital in Madison, but lost a close match to sevenyear state title holder Rhinelander. Xavier competed with teams from 14 other regions at the twoday competition. At a banquet after the first full day of trials, the Wisconsin State Bar Association announced the two finalists, secutive years. "Ever since we've been going to state there has always been a very competitive rivalry," said Lonergan. Xavier has been narrowing the gap between Rhinelander by placing in order seventh, fifth, third and second. In addition to Mrs. Jones, attorney Mr. Kevin Lonergan, Mrs. Ellen Breithaupt, Mr. Dan Brellenthin and Mr. Brian Borchardt help out with the team. The Xavier program, which has provided two teams to compete in regionals for numerous years, could be one of the school's most successful programs. For the past five years, the program has earned a chance to compete at the state level and, for the past three years, the program has sponsored the top one and two teams in the region.

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

From page 1 Like the Emergency Shelter, St. Joseph emphasizes the importance of escaping poverty. "If a family had fallen apart, they came here to get back together," said Father Abler. "They worked with family counselors and were allowed to stay for up to 18 months." Unfortunately, inhabitants' stays at the convent were cut short. In 2002, St. Joe's sold the facility. "The person who bought it out allowed (the program) to go on. (The building) was eventually sold to the county, who wanted to use it for office buildings," Fr. Abler said. "People were asked to leave." Likewise, the Emergency Shelter, which receives the bulk of its funding from the government, experienced a burden. "We're not able to raise enough community money to fund our program," said Cronmiller. "Some of that is the burden of government cuts. The community money can't make up for that." However, the federal government does not overlook such deficits. According to Congressman Mark Green, who represents northeastern Wisconsin, Congress recognizes the pressing need to provide to local relief agencies. "Community based organizations are more effective. . .than traditional bureaucratic programs," he said. Congress, which creates the budget for local agencies, does not directly implement it. The local government has a crucial role in distributing the money it receives from the federal government. Congressman Green said, "We try to provide money to local authorities who are closer to the problems." Local officials, such as Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna, decide how to divide the money among local agencies. "We get money from the federal government in the form of Community Development Block Grants," said Mayor Hanna. "Organizations can apply for money and we decide how to split it up," he said. "We usually have requests for double what we get." Despite funding issues and recent cuts, the government's willingness to battle homelessness is far from over. "Our commitment remains as strong as ever," said Congressman Green. In spite of its recent escalation, the problem of homelessness in the Fox Cities sometimes goes unnoticed. According to Congressman Green, the general populace dismisses poverty as an irrelevant and out-of-scope issue. "We think of homelessness in very big cities, (but) there are real homelessness challenges (here)," said Congressman Green. "I think it's a far greater problem than people realize." Despite the struggles, Father Abler said he feels optimistic. "We keep saying we have to do more, but if we stop to think about what we've done, it's pretty amazing," he said.

Creativity meets competition in high school forensics meets

By Heidi Brittnacher Forensics, a club that promotes creativity and confidence on many different levels, never leaves its participants speechless. Participants say they appreciate the opportunity both to perform and to learn from forensics. "There are a lot of different opportunities and different ways to express yourself, and a lot of different areas that get you better at public speaking," said senior Katie Ebben. Sophomore Nicole Jahns said she thinks it is fun to participate in meets, and she likes the competition. "I also like hanging out with my friends," she said. The variety of categories gives students the option of acting, debating, speaking, or even a mixing theseof categories. They compete either in small groups or individually, in four to 12 minute acts. There are 19 categories, from group interpretation to radio announcing. Group interpretation includes acting and speaking, performed by reading a script to give the audience a chance to imagine what is happening. During radio announcing, on the other hand, a person is given a newspaper and 30 minutes to prepare a five minute broadcast that covers all the highlights of the news and requires a commercial. In a forensics meet, each person participates in anywhere from one to three categories. Ebben is usually in group interpretation, where her group chooses a story and makes up movements to go with their story. "I am with a bunch of other people and it's a lot more fun practicing, and because you get to work together as a team," she said. Jahns enjoys play acting. "It's more interesting to watch and participate in," she said. Play acting involves performing a scene from a play, without using costumes or props. During a meet, there are four rounds, and everyone participates in the first three. During these rounds, the participants are critiqued on a scale of one to five, with one being the desired score. The judges total the scores, and send the participants with the lowest scores into a fourth round. This round, called the power round, is the culmination of every category. Here students present the piece they performed throughout the first three rounds. After scoring the performance, judges declare the person with the lowest score the overall winner of that specific category. Flexible practice times give students the ability to choose how much time they want to put into it. "It can be [time consuming] if you want it to be, because there are some things that need more preparation, like the group categories," said Ebben.

March 2006

Features
s a i d Kramer. "I played with them a week during my junior year and I really liked it." Bryna Peplinski According to Xavier's Athletic Director Mrs. Kathy Bates, Winona State has a tie to Xavier. "(Winona) knows how good we are. They seem to look here first for upcoming athletes,"she said. Winona State's connection with Xavier began in 2002 when it recruited Alumnae Katie Kramer. Graduate Kayla Walters of 2004 also plays on Winona's soccer team. Despite the success of other Xavier athletes, soccer players dominate Xavier's recruitment. "It seems to be the sport of late that most of our athletes get recruited for," Mrs. Bates said. By Chris Hansen A LAN party is a very common occurrence in the nerd realm. A party consists of a bunch of guys who have nothing better to do except play video games with other guys; no jobs, no girlfriends, no books to read. They just play video games. LAN stands for Local Area Network, meaning a LAN party participants gather at Chimera network of video game sys- Shop. tems duking it out for a said Column prize. This is essential to these nerds because, without video of like a brotherhood of guys who games their view of reality may can't stand to lose. Some of the LAN parties that I have been to actually be normal. This gives them no inner hope ended in physical violence and of ever dating anyone of any sub- that promptly ended at that. But most LAN parties are just a stance. But a LAN party is when a group of guys with either an bunch of dudes with a lot of soda, Xbox or a moveable computer pizza, testosterone and video connect their units and play games. One of the most famous LAN games of shoot 'em up with up to parties known at Xavier was held 16 players. The LAN party is so fun at the school. A Madden (EA because it's a competition sports Madden NFL '04) tournabetween a bunch of friends that ment took place on a weekend has no injuries (sometimes) and a and had a huge turnout. The final guaranteed winner, a very black two people facing each other played on a screen set up in the and white activity. The bonding that goes on at a commons. A bracket system was set up LAN party is very odd; it's kind

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Winona State signs Peplinski, Kramer

By Ashley Beck After four seasons as teammates on Xavier's varsity soccer team, seniors Bryna Peplinski and Amanda Kramer will continue to play side by side at Winona State University of Minnesota. Winona State, whose NCAA Division II women's soccer team ranks 11th in the nation, recruited both Peplinski and Kramer. Peplinski, who plays midfield, was named to the first team and Xavier's goalie, Kramer, received an honorable mention on the PostCrescent All-Area Squad in 2005. K r a m e r Amanda Kramer said she felt comfortable with the Winona State program. "They kept calling me over the summer and sending me stuff,"

LAN fans enjoy techno party

randomly and then the opponents played on a system of TV's throughout the commons. This was only considered a LAN party because it was a tournament involving video games. If the nerds would have had their way the game would have been HALO II. Madden is a football Hobby game so only two people can face each other at a time. Lengths of quarters were set for each level of playing and the opponents played a full game against each other using regulation football teams from the NFL. The winner also received a cash prize somewhere in the neighborhood of $120. A LAN party can be a great social opportunity or a brawl depending on how you control yourself. A video game is just that, a game and that's how it should be viewed but some people get a little too involved in it and go over the edge. So always remember to have fun and if any hairy situations come up, just leave.

Strength of XHS academics draws non-Catholics

By Caitlin O'Leary Although Xavier is quick to welcome students of any religion, it has no intentions of altering the emphasis on a Catholic education. Xavier Principal Mr. Matt Reynebeau said, "People coming to Xavier know before enrolling that this is a Catholic school. Upon entering they become a part of our community." Despite Xavier's stress on the significance of the Catholic faith, many people of different religions still feel attending Xavier is right for them. According to sophomore Zach Van Gompel, the quality of education and respect provided by Xavier make attending worthwhile. "My parents are the main reason why I attend Xavier," he said. "They wanted me to come here, because they felt I would get a better education. I agree with their decision." Being a non-Catholic student at Xavier requires making some extra sacrifices. An additional $1,800 in tuition must be paid yearly to cover the cost Catholic parishes normally fund. Despite the additional cost to the $4,700 already required of Catholic students, Xavier has no specific procedure to bring in non-Catholic students, according to Mr. Reynebeau. "We really have no marketing plan for nonCatholic students. Generally, we receive students of diverse religions based on word of mouth," he said. "This is where Xavier's great reputation of students behavior as well as academic and athletic excellence comes into play." Xavier's high reputation powerfully draws even Lutheran students who normally would have considered Fox Valley Lutheran. Senior Liz Tusler said, "I chose Xavier over FVL, because I felt the education was better." Despite obvious rivalry between schools, according to Tusler, students at Xavier act kindly toward Lutheran students. "Everyone is nice about it," she said. "I do get teased a bit though, like when they say the Hail Mary, but it is totally a joke." Along with extra tuition, nonCatholic Xavier students also are required to attend all prayer services as well as participate in appropriate religion classes. Sophomore Jose Rivera, who identifies himself as a Jewish Christian, values the spiritual background Xavier provides. "Although I am not Catholic, my religion is very similar. I still feel it's beneficial for me," he said. "I still feel comfortable in religion classes, because we use the same Bible." Some students of diverse religions do not feel they should be forced to attend prayer services or religion classes. "Religion really was not a factor for my enrollment at Xavier," said Van Gompel. "I do not really see why students like me can't simply arrive later on prayer service days or take another elective instead of a religion class." According to Mr. Reynebeau, the Xavier administration believes every student should have both equal benefits and requirements. "People of the Xavier community attend prayer services and complete religion classes," he said. "The religious classes are more of an academic chance for students of different religions to learn about our faith, rather than a spiritual journey." According to religion teacher Mr. Mike Mauthe, an alteration in the way non-Catholic students are taught is not necessary. "I don't change the curriculum, but I try to present the information in a way that is fairly generalized, so it may apply to many different students," he said. "I also try to make an effort to create an environment where non-Catholic students still feel comfortable." Xavier emphasizes Catholicism as the rock of the school and taking that lightly is not the answer to future budget issues, according to Mr. Reynebeau. "We don't want to water down the fact that we are Catholic. It is a big part of our school and very important," he said. "Another school in our area experimented with that idea. They sold their school as more of a Christian school, rather than a Catholic school. In the end, it didn't work at all for them as the numbers suffered." While religion teachers at Xavier enforce the spiritual ideals of Catholicism, their primary goal is to teach the facts and academics of the course. "Religion classes at Xavier are set up similar to any other academic course," said Mr. Mauthe. "NonCatholic students learn about our faith the same way Catholic students learn about world religions. There are so many parallels between most religions as well. Theology generally can be applied to more than one group of people."

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Features
Where is Thy Sting. 9:18 - Robyn begins to sing her 9:28 - We head down to the 8:37 - They finish their song French solo Luce Cre. commons to check out the results and head to the back table to get 9:19 - Halfway through the .9:30 - We stay and Dave practheir review from the judge. song, I look over to see Brittany tices in the commons. It's a little Emily Rippl then kicks us out of reading the song as Robyn is noisy, but it still does the job. the room because she is too nerv- singing it. 9:33 - We make sure the two ous to perform in front of us. 9:20 - Robyn finishes a great music books are at the site. One 8:42 - Dave and I head back to performance. The judge says "I is for the judge to look at and the the gym to get his music other is for the pianist. for the rest of the day. 9:40 - Dave goes to 8:48 - We meet up the bathroom again with his parents and talk and describes himself about when and where as "nervous." On the the rest of his events are. way back, we see 8:54-9:00 - We go Robyn down the hall down to the office for and Dave goes over to Dave to practice, and her and she wishes then listen to Robyn him good luck on his practice her next song. solo. 9:01 - We go in and 9:48 - Dave decides listen to Chuck Vogt and Jason Van Dyn Hoven, Dave Kirkpatrick, Robyn he's going to make up Dana Koth sing Lost is My Galloway and Brittany Tomasi perform a song. the interesting aspect off Quiet Forever. They do a the cuff instead of prepargreat job, and the judge describes don't have anything to help you ing one ahead of time. them as "fun to listen to." with." 9:49 - Dave uses the bathroom 9:11 - We listen to a random 9:25 - Dave and I walk down to one more time before his perWaupaca kid sing The Sally the commons and go through the formance. He claims the cause Gardens. We're just passing the a la carte area to buy a bottle of was his two teas and three waters time until Robyn does her solo. water. It is actually really con- this morning. He sings a little too quietly but fusing as to where you pay and to 9:53 - Dave performs his solo not bad. whom you give your money, but O Del Mio Dolce Andor, and 9:17 - Robyn is waiting for the we get it worked out. uses the word "runs" when he judge to be ready. She jokes how 9:26 - Dave goes to the rest- tells the judges about the interestshe can't stand up straight, and room for the first time today, but ing aspect in his piece, instead of mentions how silent the room is. says there is more to come. the "melizmas" his pianists sug-

March 2006

Non-singing reporter spends day at solo and ensemble

By Ben Wells 7:32 - I wake up and get in the shower. I am extremely glad that singing is not on my agenda today. 8:01 - I arrive at Xavier and am surprised by the amount of cars in the parking lot. 8:03 - I find Dave Kirkpatrick in the gym. He informs me that he's drinking his traditional tea and that his voice is still feeling the effects of the FVL game Thursday. 8:05 - Dave lets me know that his first event is a duet with Robyn Galloway. We meet up with her and head to the practice rooms so they can warm-up. 8:15 - They finish practicing and we head over to Mr. Mauthe's room where they are supposed to perform. We check in with the site manager and they get prepared to sing. 8:17-8:21 - While we're waiting for the room to be ready, they talk music. I don't study music so I'm completely lost during this conversation. 8:28 - We all go in and listen to Brittany Tomasi sing her Italian song. She does well. 8:34 - Dave and Robyn begin to sing their duet, O Death gested. 9:56 - Dave finishes, the judge says it was very good. 10:00 - We stay in Mrs. Jamison's room and listen to Ben Dungar sing his German solo "Nacht and Traume." 10:03 - Ben finishes his solo. The judge seems to like it. 10:06 - Dave reads over his musical theater piece to make sure he has all of the words down. 10:08 - Dave uses the bathroom again. 10:09 - Dave, Jason Van Dyn Hoven, Tim Gavronski and John Binzak practice their group song inside the doors by the boys bathroom. It echoes throughout the small room and sounds fantastic. 10:15 - I leave to go tailgating for the boys' basketball game against Little Chute at Oshkosh North. Dave still has to perform Prayer of the Children with his quartet, his musical theater piece, his duet with Jason and the Hawkswing performance. 3:36 - I give Dave a call to find out his results. He informs me that he qualified for state with six of his nine songs.

Prospector Staff
Editor:
Stacey Wilson

Outside Contributers:
ACe Clouthier, Chris Hansen, Caitlin Weber

Copy Editor:
Caitlin Weber

Advisor:
Mrs. Laura Biskupic

Artwork courtesy of:

Scott Fleming

St aff Wr t r : ies

Ashley Beck, Steven Boldt, Heidi Brittnacher, Adam DeCock, Jennifer Droese, Maria Guzman, Madison Heid, Caitlin OLeary, Thomas Pranica, Lindsey

Reinhalter, Lenka Rohalova, Alex Suprise, Kelly Szadziewicz, Ben Wells, Stacey Wilson,Katie Worzalla

Some fun, some humdrum for spring break plans

Mr. Dan Riordan Alyssa Mumford Alex Gigot Jon Morton Rachel Hermus

I'm going to Ireland.

Emily [Maxwell] and I are going on the art trip to Europe.

Cruzin' Darboy Ave. and looking for some hunnies.

I would be going to North Carolina.but baseball is messin' up my schedule.

Im staying in Little Chute...!

March 2006

Features
"Also for me, since I was the only person who played my instrument (electric bass), it was important for me this year." Mr. Peters said he likes to learn new music each year, but the favorites of Xavier never leave. After all, no one wants to miss out on hearing "Hey Baby!" "The thing that is most difficult for students is to play for a game they have to be here early and stay until at least halftime. For many students these n i g h t s become long as they don't have much time to do homework before games and that only leaves the hours after a game to get work done," said Mr. Peters. "I have been told by many that they have to stay up late to get their work done. I try to have no more than two band commitments in a week, but sometimes the way the schedule works, it is unavoidable." One major scheduling hurdle this year was the state solo and ensemble festival, which Xavier hosted. It took place the first Saturday of Marchwith games on T u e s d a y , Thursday and Saturday of that week. Mr. Peters said, "I was trying to manage a festival of over 1000 students, while at the same time waiting to see if a basketball team won or not so I could order a bus, and let my students know if we were going to play." May competed in eight solo & ensemble events that day and said that he was "music'd out" by 5 p.m. that Saturday. Sophomore Joy Willenbrink also participated in solo and ensemble, but said it was nice to be able to go to the game after a stressful day. Although pep band is a big time commitment, it pays off. During the basketball games, many have said that it adds excitement and energy to the games. "You can never beat live music at an athletic event. Not only is the music great, but by adding 60 students at the baseline the gym is going to look more crowded and intimidating to opposing teams," said Mr. Peters. "I take pride in having the best pep band in the valley!" Senior varsity basketball player Lee Weiland said he loves having the pep band at games. "When the pep band is there, we get off to a better start. We have more adrenaline going and more excitement toward the game. It gives a lot of energy to the players and fans." Weiland said the Xavier pep band is much better than having recorded music playing. "The pep band is so loud and gets players pumped up for the game. It (recorded music) doesn't compare to Xavier pep band," he said.

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Pep band enjoys extended basketball season

By Caitlin Weber With the boys and girls basketball teams both advancing to sectionals, the pep band has had a busier year than usual. According to Band Director Mr. Kevin Peters, the pep band played at nine girls' games and 10 boys' games this year. Normally, they only have to play at six girls' games and six boys' games. "This year was much busier than normal," said Mr. Peters. "We have been fortunate to have several successful sports teams which adds games for us to play." Senior pep band member Heath May has been in pep band for three years, and he said this year was clearly the most chaotic. Sophomore, junior and senior band students are required to be in pep band and need a note from their parents that is approved by Mr. Peters if they must miss a game. Participating athletes are excused. "This year, pep band was directly linked to each band student's grade in the class, so every game was a bigger commitment than in previous years," said May.

More students pop sodas, fizzle healthy diet attempts

By Kelly Szadziewicz Since its introduction to the public in the late 1700s, soda has been the drink of choice for many people. However, every time someone pops the tab of a carbonated beverage, the individual puts his or her body at risk. "I think a lot of people are consuming a lot of soda and it's very unhealthy because people are drinking less water," senior Dee Danford said. One result of this American dependence on sweet drinks has been a constantly rising obesity rate. Although soda isn't the only culprit to blame for the expansion of the median waistband size, it is a great contributor. Recent Harvard research shows that for each additional serving of soft drink, the risk of human obesity increases 1.6 times. As an attempt to prevent rapid weight gain but still enjoy the sugary drink, many people are turning to diet beverages. However, sodas that replace sugar with artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet and Equal put consumers at a considerably higher risk of health problems than the regular genre of sodas. Artificial sweeteners contain a substance known as aspartame. According to scientific research, aspartame can cause over 92 health crises, such as brain tumors, diabetes, emotional disorders, and epilepsy. In some cases, diet soda also contains a larger amount of caffeine than regular soda. Diet Coke has 42 milligrams of caffeine, while Coke Classic contains just 35 milligrams. "Diet soda has no calories and would not necessarily help you lose weight unless you exercised and ate fewer food calories in addition to drinking diet sodas," said Badger Elementary's school nurse Peggy Carew. "Diet soda in and of itself will not help you lose weight." If diet soda cannot be coaxed from its consumers' hands, it must be kept chilled. When the aspartame found in artificial sweeteners is kept in very warm areas, it changes to methanol, cessfully dehydrate the body," an Affinity NurseDirect nurse said. Sophomore Alex Baranowski noted the health risks of soda and successfully abstained from it. "I gave up soda for a year because it's really unhealthy and bad for your teeth," she said. In addition to "teaching her that she can reach the goals she sets for herself," the year-long vacation from soda has lessened her craving for it. "I generally have one a week," Baranowski said. "Now I drink more water." Soda is not completely bad, however, and caffeinated beverages can be used for medicinal Senior Scott Fleming drinks a soda. purposes such as the relieving of Another ingredient in soda, phos- headaches. Caffeine, originating phoric acid, can "begin to dis- from kola nuts, is one of the main solve tooth enamel in only 20 ingredients of Excedrin minutes," according to an Ohio Migraine, a headache medicine. Dental Association press release. "Caffeine is a stimulant and it Additionally, drinking soda causes vessel dilation and causes before exercise is not a good the blood to go through the vesidea. sels more readily. In effect, it "Soda contains carbonation helps relieve the headache," Mrs. which can damage the liver. Carew said. Caffeinated beverages also sucwhich is a type of alcohol that can cause cancer. Substances commonly found in sodas such as phosphorus and acid also can interfere with bone and tooth development. Animal studies show that phosphorus depletes bones of calcium.

By Lenka Rohalova Snow captivated a visiting group of Peruvian exchange students and their teachers. "I have never met any people who didn't see snow before," said junior Marta Uzulniece, who was observing the group of students coming from Peru. Ten students and two teachers came to the U.S. to try another kind of weather, to see another country and improve their English. "I was here two years before and I was excited to come again and see how things have changed," said one of the teachers, Sr. Giancarlo Castelo. All of the students, including teachers, stayed with host families from Xavier. "I enjoyed having a foreign exchange student," said junior Rachel Pollen, who hosted Claudia Lucia Palacios Angulo. Most of the Peruvians liked their host families. "My family showed me a lot of things and I really appreciate that," said Palacios Angulo. "The people I stayed with were very nice," said one of the teachers, Sra. Beatriz Cantreras, who enjoyed staying in the U.S. According to the Peruvians, the US and Peru are totally different countries. The most interesting experience for most of the Peruvians involved snow. "I saw the Peruvians the other day standing beside the window and looking outside while it was snowing," said Uzulniece. "They reminded me of small kids; they were so excited that some of them even jumped. Then they went outside, but they looked a little scared when snow touched their skin. It was probably too cold for them." Besides skiing, which they really enjoyed, they have done a lot of other things with their host families. Some of them even visited Chicago.

Peruvians enjoy stay

Page 6

Sports
Prior to the Hawks' 51-45 vic- "Basketball is my favorite sport. Against Waupaca, Xavier battory over Little Chute in the bas- I think it's Kevin's too," he said. tled back from a 12-point deficit. ketball regional final on March 4, Xavier head basketball coach The Hawks, who had the ball Little Chute won the past three with 1:00 left on the clock games, each by three points. and the score tied, opted Rohrer said he enjoyed getting to try to run out the clock, over the hurdle, and beating and get a last-second shot Little Chute. "It felt good. They to win the game. [two conference losses] were two Rohrer drove the lane tough losses, which they unfortuand made a heavily connately came out on top. It felt tested lay up with only 6.5 good to win the regional champiseconds remaining, to onship, and move onto sectiongive the Hawks a two als." point lead. Xavier went Schommer felt the sting of on to win the game 49-45, defeat as his team couldn't and share the conference "sweep" Xavier, and beat them title with Little Chute. three times in the season. "It felt Rohrer also came Photo by Mark Schaefer through in the clutch for good to beat them twice. It's hard to beat a team three times. They Xaviers Kevin Rohrer battles Little the Hawks against Ripon shot the ball well, we didn't. Chutes Kurt Schommer for the ball. in the sectional semifinal in They came with enthusiasm. the Brown County Arena They played Ripon really well," Tom Neises said he really when he sank a game-tying threehe said. enjoyed coaching Rohrer the past pointer in the final seconds of the The rivalry between two seasons. game. Schommer and Rohrer has "Kevin was an outstanding guy Little Chute Head Coach moved beyond the boundaries of to coach. He was a great team Mickey Martin also has enjoyed the basketball court. Rohrer and leader, and role model, on and off the success of his team, led by Schommer are both starting quar- the court. He was a talented play- Schommer. terbacks of their varsity football er that came through for us in the "It's been great coaching Kurt team. Rohrer thinks that they are clutch a lot this season. I can't the past two seasons. He has competitive in all sports. "I'm think of a day he missed practice. worked hard on his game trying competitive in both sports, He was fun to coach," he said. to get better everyday. He stays because both of us don't like to Twice this season, once in the after practice working on his shot lose, whoever we're playing. We regular season finale against and needs to be kicked out of the want to give it our best and win," Waupaca, and again in the sec- gym so the rest of us can go he said. Schommer thinks bas- tional semifinal against Ripon, home." ketball is the bigger of the two. Rohrer hit big shots. This year has been a tough year

March 2006

Rivals earn mutual respect through six years, three sports

By Adam DeCock Whether it's on the football field, the basketball court or the baseball diamond, Xavier's Kevin Rohrer and Little Chute's Kurt Schommer have been rivals and friends. Ever since sixth grade, Rohrer and Schommer have been going up against each other. Though they play for rival schools, the two stars of their teams remain friendly off the court. "Yes, [we're rivals], but we're very good friends. We've played together and against each other since the sixth grade," said Rohrer. According to Schommer, the two athletes have built a relationship based on mutual respect over the years. "We're rivals on the court, but off the court, no. He's a great athlete," he said. Even though they wear different uniforms, Rohrer says the competition is not all about them. "I think it's more of a rivalry between schools and not Kurt and I," he said. The Xavier - Little Chute rivalry has been far from boring the past couple of years. "Every year, the schools are at the top of the conference. It's really exciting," said Schommer. to prepare for, especially with the way the Xavier - Little Chute rivalry has added to the competition of trying to win conference. "As a coach I try to prepare for this game [Xavier - Little Chute] as I do any other. Certainly this year it's been a little different because both teams were battling for the conference crown and that added to the mix," said Coach Martin. Coach Neises came to each game with the same approach. "I don't handle a Xavier - Little Chute game any different. Of course the first two were to clinch the conference. Every game is important. If you lose a game like that, the other ones don't matter," he said. Each coach said he enjoyed watching the rivalry unfold, but had different opinions about players "stepping up" for the occasion. "Kevin was consistent in his level of play," said Coach Neises. Coach Martin, on the other hand, felt both players stepped up their level of play when they faced each other. "I don't think there's any question about it. The fact that these two have been playing against each other for many years in all sorts of venues just adds to it," he said.

Snowboarders enjoy rush of new craze in extreme sports

By Steven Boldt Imagine rushing down a mountain at 40 mph, and then doing it over and over again all day long. One of the few ways to get this rush is snowboarding, a very popular sport that is taking the world by storm. "I really love snowboarding. It's one of the few ways to get a feeling of weightlessness while still here on earth," said sophomore Mike Cupp. Snowboarding, once considered a sport that only appealed to "punks", was not allowed at many ski resorts across the country. "Snowboarding in the 80's was like Rock n' Roll in the 50's, no one was really sure where it was going but it had a strong following," said snowboarding legend Stacey Peralta in the snowboarding documentary "First Descent." The three different major kinds of snowboarding include Alpine, Freestyle and Boardercross. Alpine snowboarding, the most common type of snowboarding, involves carving, or making large turns, and using the whole face of the mountain. "Freestyle is really fun because there's always different terrain to go over, and you are always trying new tricks and cool stuff like that. I also really like watching Boardercross because it's very intense," said sophomore Justin Panich. that is filled with obstacles like jumps, berms, and drops. Whoever gets to the bottom first wins. Snowboarding popularity has grown in large amounts in recent years because of its addition into a major competition, the Olympics. Snowboarding was added to the Olympics in 1998 and has now become one of the most popular events to watch. The two types of snowboarding in the Olympics are the snowboarding Halfpipe and Boardercross. "I really followed Snowboarding in the Olympics a lot this year. It was really cool to see the U.S. do so well," said sophomore Nate Zipple. Another major competition is the X-Games, short for the Extreme Games. This competition includes Halfpipe and Boardercross and Slopestyle. "Slopestyle is my favorite event because you have to have a lot of skills, from jumps, to rails, to boxes. It's really fun to watch," said sophomore Jon Meiers. Slopestyle is a competition where riders go over many jumps and jibs, rails and boxes, and perform tricks. The rider with the most technical and difficult run wins. Athletes find their snowboarding equipment at specialty shops, such as Mountain Bay in Appleton. "We can size you and help you pick out your equipment. We also have a full size rental shop where you can test out equipment before you buy," said Sales Manager Adam Schmidt. Once decked out in gear, participants need to get to a hill. "Unfortunately we don't have many places near Appleton to go snowboarding, but one of my favorites is Indianhead in the UP. They have a stellar terrain park and other runs," said junior Dan Noll. "In the UP there are a plethora of places to ride. It's really nice because there's always a new hill to go to," said Meiers Snowboarding may seem like it is only a winter sport; however, that is not the whole truth. It is true that here in Wisconsin and Michigan it is only a winter sport, but if you are willing to travel a little bit you can snowboard all year at Whistler Mountain in British Columbia. "A year or two ago I was able to go up to Whistler during the summer for a snowboard camp. It was really cool because I was snowboarding during the summer on a glacier," said freshman Nick Acosta.

Boardercross, the newest type of snowboarding, is when groups of riders go down a very narrow run

March 2006

Sports
rific comeback and brought the game to overtime, it wasn't quite enough. The players say they're saddened by their loss, but remain excited about their season. We had a real good year so I think there is more than one moment," head coach Tom Neises said. "How well we played against the Milwaukee schools this year was really good because we played so poorly against them last year. The conference championship, winning that at Waupaca, that's something we really wanted bad and we had to overcome a lot to do that. And, of course, being able to play in the Brown County Arena probably caps it off. We had a really fun year. I really enjoyed the year and I was sad it came to an end a little bit too soon, but we had a lot of great memories. I think the memories the players and I will take with us for a long time." For most of the players, the trip to sectionals started years ago when they first picked up a basketball. "I love basketball so I've never regretted any decisions I've made as to working hard or practices or anything like that because to me it's always been fun," said Rohrer. "A lot of us have played basketball together since sixth grade or before that so it's kind of a collective hard working because we've all been together so long and, this being our senior year, made everyone work that much harder to make it memorable." The team, which included eight seniors, even gained some players who had stopped playing basketball, but felt the need to come back to the game. Stas Miaskowski was one of the "senior rookies." "Well, I knew the guys needed a couple of big guys to back up Scottie so they convinced me and they accepted me back on the team," he said. "It turned out to be really fun and I'm not going to regret it ever." The seniors understand the importance of the final season better than anybody does. They say they are just starting to comprehend that making all the sacrifices was worth it for the game. Senior starter Scott Fleming said, "Two hours or sometimes more every night, put school on the back burner, but it's been worth it because you can only play basketball once." Despite being plagued with injuries senior starter A.C. Clouthier knew that he had to play this year. "I looked at it as, I'm not going to need my body parts for this kind of use in the future. I'm not going to need them in the athletic work, so as long as I have them I am going to use them to perform and help a team. It's now or never," said Clouthier. The underclassmen felt this love and knowledge the eight seniors had for the game and they respected them for it. Sophomore Sam Schaefer said, "The best part was learning from the senior class. They taught me so much about the game. I was very blessed to be taken under their wing. Tim really guided me

Page 7

Love for the game courts most senior athletes

By Stacey Wilson There is a certain longing in senior athletes eyes, a view of lost days when the crowds were large, the noise level high and the game intense. Their eyes flash back to summer days spent sweating in gyms, winter nights spent shooting around and 6 a.m. practices. But, after their last game, few athletes would regret one moment of a grueling practice. Ask any one of the boys' basketball team members who, after a thrilling comeback, suffered a 60-56 overtime loss to Ripon in the second game of the WIAA Division 2 Sectional tournament semi-finals on March 9. "Making it to sectionals was awesome," said senior starter Kevin Rohrer. "All of us wanted a shot at Seymour because they're the perennial powerhouse in Division II. They've made it to state seven years in a row, so I think we all would have liked a chance to play them and see what we could do." Although the team made a terthrough. If I didn't know a play or something like that he really guided me through. I am very thankful for them. I learned so much from them and I'm going to miss them a lot." The underclassmen say they are sad to see the seniors go, but they know they have learned a lot from them and are ready to show their newfound knowledge. Junior Matt Scheske said, "We shouldn't be overlooked next year because I think that we have a lot of guys returning and we just have to work hard next year. It's a long summer and we have a lot of young talent and we'll have to work hard to develop that talent." Meanwhile, for the eight athletes who've played their last high school basketball game, memories remain. Rohrer said, "I'm going to miss the games the most. Playing at Xavier and just playing in general it is just very fun to me and I'll miss that the most."

New gym
From Page 1 allow for three practices to be held during one time slot. And since freshman and junior varsity games will take place at the same time, an entire practice for another team potentially can be held before the games begin. "Currently we rent gym space for practice," said Mrs. Bates. "We will no longer have to do that." The extra room also will prove useful for physical education classes along with school functions such as the annual Xavier Food Fair and Grandparents' Day. Construction already has begun on the new gym as the crew is currently in the process of cleaning out the ground and creating a foundation. Mr. Biesterveld said he estimates that the gym will be ready for use before next school year. "We can't thank the donors enough for their generosity," said Mr. Reynebeau. "I'm really looking forward to having another gym," said Mrs. Bates. "It will put us in the 21st century.

Rally earns girls regional crown

By ACe Clouthier The 2005-2006 girls' basketball players overcame several obstacles this season as they fought their way to a WIAA Division II Regional Championship. The first struggle came as a result of an injury to junior Rachel Hermus. Hermus, a team leader, suffered a season-ending knee injury early on as the Hawks limped to a fourth place finish in the Valley 9 conference with an 8-6 record. "Our record was deceiving, because we had a lot of close games and games where we had lapses," said senior captain Kristen Wilson. However, their 11-9 overall record was good enough to earn the team a No. 3 seed in the WIAA tournament. At this point, the Hawks began to rise, soaring at the right time of the year. They won their last seven out of nine games and finished with an overall record of 15-10, gaining ownership of the regional championship and sectional runner-up trophies. Wilson said making sectionals was a big step for the program, while senior captain Kate Kessenich enjoyed the tournament because it gave them one last chance to show they could compete with any team. " I t gave us a n opportunity to s h o w how far we have c o m e and I'm really proud of Kristen Wilson plays how much defense. our team grew from the beginning of the season," Kessenich said. Coach Dan Riordan described the team in one word: dedicated. They faced the odds and prevailed, he said, especially the seniors.. "They helped to raise the bar in terms of the expectations of our program," he said. Junior Maggie Burkart said she was really pleased with the growth of the team and program and gave much of the credit for that to the seniors. "The seniors displayed good leadership and a constant stride to keep everyone going," she said. One thing Burkart looks forward to next season, besides just getting out to play, is that she is going to be a senior. She said it will be her grade's turn to step up in the leadership role. Mr. Riordan said he's looking forward to next year as well. "We have a talented group of underclassmen that have the potential to build upon the success we experienced this season," he said. Still, as this season ended, players agreed there were things they will miss. Even though Kessenich said she will never miss having to run sprints again, she does agree with Wilson about the friendships they will miss, and only has one bit of advice to give. "Be supportive of your teammates and enjoy the experience because it will be gone in a moment," she said.

State Champ
From Page 1 because it shows it's for girls too. Seeing Amanda win may spark interest for other girls to join the team. Amanda is somewhat of a pioneer in girls powerlifting at Xavier," said Xavier athletic director Matt Prill. McNelly said she is very proud of Amanda, as she is the one who got her started in power lifting in the first place. "I think she deserves it because she has worked extremely hard. I also think it's amazing that she won with just her opening lifts," said McNelly. Even though the amount she lifted for the win seems like a lot to many people, Brenneman thinks she could have done better. "I was having an off-lifting day because I sat in the sauna before I went out to lift. I was lifting a lot lighter than I really could have," she said. Brenneman's achievements in powerlifting have shed a new light on women lifting weights. She is setting an example for other female powerlifters, and is the first state winner at Xavier.

Thinking Cap

Page 8

Opinion
play in sports, it is also required that teams spend hours practicing in and out of season. Xavier teams are expected to win and win often. It is no longer enough to participate in pep and marching band, we must also compete in solo and ensemble, log hours in and out of school and qualify for the state competition. And it is no longer enough to take challenging classes. We must fill our schedule with independent studies and AP courses, and pass the AP so we can have a head start for college. Although these opportunities are only made to aid students, after awhile the pressure begins

Thinking Cap

March 2006

March Madness takes over Xavier community

March Madness is no longer just a term describing college basketball. It also applies to high school students, especially Xavier students. Between the winter sports playoffs starting and ending, solo and ensemble, finals nearing and the school year winding down there is more than enough madness to keep students occupied. With all the fantastic opportunities offered to Xavier students, it is hard to overlook the drive for excellence. It is no longer enough that we

Editorial
to build up. When is it okay to say enough is enough? I have too much to do and I need a break. When sporting events, school, social events and extra curricular activities build up, young adults should take the time to reintroduce themselves to their families.

We at The Prospector urge everyone to take some time to themselves. Students need to understand the intent of the opportunities in which they participate. If students are not sleeping, eat ing right or exercising, how can they stay healthy and succeed? We implore students to take care of themselves. Students need to make sure that they are sleeping enough. Take the extra five minutes in the morning to eat breakfast. They should make sure they not only

exercise their minds, but keep their bodies in shape as well. Find a balance between all the activities. If students desire good ACT scores, college acceptance and a successful job, they probably need to maintain the hectic high school lifestyle. Here at this college prep school students just have to get used to the idea of being busy and staying on task. We might as well tough it out and enjoy the March Madness.

Root for spring teams Writer finds state experience intense

By Ben Wells When the football and basketball teams have hung up their cleats and sneakers, a new group of teams begins to play. These athletes go unnoticed and unrecognized by most of their peers. The spring season seems to be an off-season" for Xavier fans. At any basketball game there might be 225-300 students, and football games draw approximately 175-225 students. Most teams seem to thrive off fans and some even perform at a higher level with a good crowd. Football and basketball games, the fan" sports, draw hundreds of fans per game. But, a track meet may only get 25 students at a home meet in nice weather, and that's stretching it. Moreover a tennis match brings in a lower amount of students than a track meet and golf has an even lower attendance than tennis. There are more opportunities to attend games and meets in the spring but fewer people attending. We probably have more people show up to bowling club every week than we will have at any girls soccer game this season. Baseball is the biggest draw of the spring with 50-60 spectators and that is not much. Xavier has one of the top crowds in the conference but for some odd reason our crowd doesn't really want to support spring sports. Some of this lack of fan interest can be attributed to the scheduling. In the same way the smaller fall sports, like cross country, volleyball, and soccer, overlap each other, spring sports do as well. Soccer practices when baseball plays and tennis practices when track has a meet, which takes a lot of possible fans away. What needs to happen is a reform in scheduling. With a fix in the scheduling of events, we can support our classmates. I would love to support the baseball team or the tennis team. We need to start making announcements, just as we did for other sports. We need to get people out there and show our spring sports that we do respect their athletic achievements. By Maria Guzman I wasn't expecting to have a weekend full of partying and fun, and I couldn't even say that I wanted the weekend to come to pass at all. Intense sums up the whole mock trial state weekend pretty well. Practicing, performing, or anticipating filled almost every moment. I told Mrs. Jones that all she had to do was say the word if she didn't want us to advance, and I could make that happen. Well, Sunday was stressful and a carefree Monday on State Street never came. On Sunday, pacing relieved my nerves the best. I only performed once that day (thankfully), and I can't say that I remember much about it. Right before hand, sitting in the chair next to my fellow witnesses, my main worry was actually that I couldn't stop yawning. After that, everything was a blur. I can't recall many details, except the times when I grew more and more angry and frustrated every time we lost an objection, which seemed far too often. That's partly why I was so shocked when our names were announced along with Rhinelander's as the top two teams. We all jumped up, hugged each other, and immediately made phone calls to parents in those few moments of happiness. I remember sitting at the banquet before the names were called with all of these mixed feelings. I was telling myself that we wouldn't make it, partially because I wanted to, plus I didn't want to get my hopes up. Also in the back of my head was the thought that we had it. But I also just wanted to go to a balcony party that night, so third wouldn't be too bad. It had already been a fun experience at the banquet getting to eat with the man that helps to write the cases for mock trial. But then it hit me. Tomorrow The sound of a booming orchestra filled every inch of the ornately decorated building, echoing the anxiety I was feeling. I would have to compete against Rhinelander in front of the Supreme Court Justices. The coaches also informed us that the Justices tend to be crabby and aren't the most forgiving. Knowing all of that, having people tell you "Just don't mess up," plus being sleep deprived, did not equal anything beneficial. From that time on, whenever someone mentioned the word "Supreme Court Justice" my stomach flipped. That feeling continued into Monday morning. We had to leave in about an hour and my new direct was barely written, let alone memorized. No one else seemed to be too worried. Thankfully Emily Lonergan helped me out and continued to question me as we sat in the hotel weight room and then made our way to the state capital across the street. I had visited the capital before, but today it looked completely new. As I walked through the revolving doors I felt like I shrank in size because of the enormity of the building. The sound of a booming orchestra filled every inch of the ornately decorated building, echoing the anxiety I was feeling. But then, I started to get excited. I was even just a little happy when I heard a girl from Rhinelander was crying from the pressure. After about four months of practicing hard (well most of the time, between games of pool and ping-pong), everything came down to this day. We had a very cohesive team, and we were ready. The room itself, the trial, and the Justices were not quite as intimidating as I expected. We came in the underdogs that everyone was pulling for, we all performed our best ever, and yet we still realized it would be close. After the Justices came back from recess, I realized I really wanted to win. We got this far, so why end now? When "Xxavier" was announced as runner-up I didn't know what to do. The worst part was going and shaking the Justices hands and having them give congratulations. I would have appreciated an apology more. Although we didn't have an excessive amount of fun, or take first, performing in front of the Supreme Court Justices in and of itself was a pretty decent accomplishment for the team. Oh well, nationals were in Oklahoma City, and how much fun could that have really been anyway?

We at The Prospector value our classmates opinions, and welcome letters to the editor. We do, however, reserve the right to modify letters for space. Please keep them under 200 words. All letters to the editor must be signed when submitted. With administrative approval, though, letters may be published anonymously.