th

eS hieldS a i n t T ho m a s A q ui n as Hig h S c ho ol

2014-2015 Volume 27, Special Edition

CONTENTSCAMPUS NEWS

EXTRAS

SPORTS2013 National Record Breaking Food Drive: 4-5

Surprise Sendoff for Theology Teacher Leo Brown: 6-7

Christmas Presents for Adopted Families: 10-11

Saints Cut Their Hair for Cancer: 14-15

Rugby at Nationals: 24-25

Cross Country Achieves Perfection: 26-27

Football’s New Era: 28-29

Tommy Talks: 12

Get Involved: 13

Social Media: 8-9

Centerspread: 16-17

Joke of the Month/ Alma Mater: 21

Last Look: 30-31

FEATURESAlumni Kristen Sudeikis is Professional Dance Choreographer : 18-20

Student Starts Soccer Charity: 22-23

Cover photo courtesy of Michele Gress Photo taken in 2013. Chris Ernst paint the front of a stack of boxes of canned food goods. The school raised 117, 705 cans that year, setting a national record.

ABOUT THIS ISSUE:Stories and pictures from this issue are from last year’s volume of The Shield. This issue highlights great moments of the Aquinas 2013-2014 school year and what it means to be a Saint. Stories and pictures are by last year’s staff. Layout is by the current staff of The Shield.

Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

11411 Pflumm RoadOverland Park, KS 66215

913-319-2460www.stasaints.net/shieldCo-Editors-in-Chief

Janie BachkoraJordan Eberhardy

Centerspread Editor

Anthony George

Social Media EditorAlex Kinnan

ReportersJordan BartzKatie Bernard

Ellie HeitAlex Kinnan

Daniel Petracek

AdviserMatt Hallauer

MISSION STATEMENTThe Shield is a newspaper sponsored by Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and produced by its students to provide information, entertainment, and open forum, as well as a learning experience for its staff members. The goal of The Shield’s staff is to meet professional journalism standards. Staff mem-bers are responsible for the content of the newspa-per and strive to report news accurately, objectively, and completely. The Shield is an open forum for student expression and aims to communicate the concerns of the student body as well as the faculty, staff, and Aquinas community.

hieldSthe

ADVERTISINGThe Shield sells advertisements to help with publica-tion 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)

319-2460, send an email to mhal-lauer@stasaints.net, or visit www.stasaints.net/shield

SUBSCRIPTIONSSubscriptions to The Shield are $2 per issue. Subscriptions can be sent to Saint Thomas Aquinas High School c/o Matt Hallauer.

LETTER POLICYLetters may be accepted by The Shield, provid-ed 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.

g

STORMhurriCAN 2013

By Annie Schugart, 2013-2014 editor-and-chief

Saints Bring In The

national-record-breaking

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Campus News

117,705

Total cans in 2013

g page 4

“I am fully convinced there is no other group of high school students and parents in this area so dedicated to a cause simply because of the goodness of their hearts,” Student Council President Annie Lind said. “I know I can speak for the rest of SutCo when I say we spent the majority of the week physically holding our jaws up to keep them from permanently dropping.”

The canned food drive has certainly taken off compared to a few years ago. StuCo moderator Chuck Hammons explained that originally the food drive was only loose cans coming in, even up until a few years ago. With the idea of canning and collecting cash donations, the event grew. And with the element of tradition and new ways to collect donations with tax benefits, it grew to where it went this year.

But this year’s record-breaking amount wasn’t entirely expected.

“I remember setting up the decorations in the commons with StuCo and constantly exchanging the most anxious, stressed out, nervous looks because we honestly thought we were going to get maybe 50,000 cans,” Lind said.

However, the Aquinas community pulled together once again and achieved the seemingly impossible, coming together to serve others without a second thought—as if it’s just second nature for the Aquinas community to give back. Lind said the motivation came from the possibility of breaking a record, the Class of 2012 for transforming the drive into the tradition it is today, the senior class wanting to live the last year to the fullest, and most importantly because Aquinas is Catholic Charities’s number one provider and “because of the responsibility we have as Saints to give back.”

“I think it’s gotten more sophisticated,” Hammons said. “Kids have gotten more resourceful. It’s been a really nice partnership [with Catholic Charities], and they really count on us.”

Hammons also noted the importance of getting the most needed items to Catholic Charities. The higher

points for certain items ensured that this was possible.Lind said the best part of it all was seeing the

original nervousness about this year’s canned food drive transform into the greatest one yet.

“Seeing that one single can multiply to be 117,705 and witnessing how each effort played a part and mattered [is] just crazy. It’s humbling,” she said. “There is just an unexplainable joy that results from living life playing a part in something much greater than yourself.”

Lind hopes that the canned food drive continues to grow, bringing in more and more cans each year. Rather than wanting her senior class to remain the record holder, she wants the record to continue to be broken each year.

And for Lind, she has accomplished a long-time goal.She has a wall of sticky note goals in her room,

with the goal of beating the canned food drive record dated her sophomore year. After the recent fulfillment of this goal, she was able to move the sticky note to her “favorite memory” section.

“That happened due to the awesome Aquinas community,” Lind said. “By no means was it just my hands removing that sticky note. It was thousands. And StuCo is so grateful.”

Annie Schugart | The ShieldOne of the many deliveries of donated cans bares one of Aquinas’s ideals “one team one family”.

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Surprise Sendoff

Photo and Story by Annie Schugart

Theology teacher Leo Brown reacts to his surprise

send-off ceremony to Afghanistan on March

11, 2014. Brown is a first sergeant with the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 442nd

Fighter Wing Maintenance Group, and this is his first

deployment overseas. Brown will be returning

home sometime during fall of 2014 to hopefully begin

teaching again in January of 2015.

g page 6

Campus News

“Any man or woman willing to die for their country [and] protect these great states deserves to be sent off in such fashion. Mr. Brown was shocked by our send-off, and that taught me that a true American hero expects no praise, needs no fame and no million dollar check to be willing to go into harms ways for the good of others.” - P.J. Hopfinger, 2013-2014 sophomore “The send-off is what shows that Aquinas is more than just a school, it’s a family. It’s very sad to see him leave, but we’re all praying he returns safe.” - Ellena Siscos, 2013-2014 senior “The send-off was one of the most touching things I’ve seen at Aquinas.”- Kelsey Weyhofen, 2013-2014 junior

“Mr. Brown is one in a million. He has taught me so much in and outside the classroom. He has taught me the importance of being the best version of myself.” - Maddy McCormick, 2013-2014 junior“I am really going to miss Mr Brown. He is my favorite teacher, and we’re really proud of him and how he’s serving the U.S., but I’ll be really glad when he returns home.” - Mia Power, 2013-2014 freshman“It is truly admirable that he is so willing to leave everything to do whatever he can to serve our country and to fight for freedom and democracy in Afghanistan, and I hope he returns home safe.” Chris Rosebrough, 2013-2014 junior

“I think that Mr. Brown’s send-off, though it is sad, teaches each of us to be strong in what we do and that we must do what we can for everyone even if we aren’t serving.” - Blyhe Dorrian, 2013-2014 freshman“Mr. Brown is a true solider and has had such an impact on everyone, and he is so in-spiring. I can’t wait to see what he does for our country. I know it will be amazing.” - Elizabeth Navickas, 2013-2014 senior

Annie Schugart | The ShieldTheology teacher Leo Brown shakes 2013-2014 senior Mikaela Hult’s hand as students applaud him on his last day before leaving.

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social mediathe best ofAquinas

g page 8

gpage 9

At Holy Name Catholic School, one mother was incapable of buying a new pair of tennis shoes for her child, let alone pay for tuition. She glued the rubber sole back onto the pair of shoes for her child, hoping to find a way to keep her children at Holy Name.

Eventually, a benefactor was found, and her children were indeed able to stay at Holy Name, yet the family still lives in poverty.

While Aquinas students and staff participate in the National Honor Society Christmas Project, many do not realize the impact the

project has. This is one of the families—along with others at both Holy Name and Resurrection Catholic School, both in Kansas City, Kan.—the project will be helping this year, chosen by administration at the schools who know which families are struggling.

“Life can be challenging for many of our families,” Holy Name principal Denise Perry said. “Often, they are struggling to make basic ends meet, so the holidays are especially hard.”

The holiday season for many Aquinas students is spent in a warm home with more

than sufficient amounts of food, clean clothing, and probably plenty of gifts underneath the tree. Yet for other families nearby in the community—families who don’t have internet connection or new shoes—Christmas is entirely different.

Many families at Holy Name “pay tuition instead of buying groceries,” so Holy Name keeps sacks

of food in the office to help out families who can’t provide food on the table.

“Our parents work so hard to provide their children with a Catholic education that they often go without things that we all take for granted, while working two jobs,” Perry said.

Perry said that many of the students at Holy Name are raised by single parents or grandparents or have fathers who are incarcerated, and most live right at or above the poverty line. Resurrection principal Lynda Higgins said many parents work seasonal jobs such as the working in the

“Often, they are struggling to make basic ends meet, so holidays are especially hard.

Denise PerryHoly Name principal

”

Wrapped In Love

Campus News

Photo by Annie Schugart | The ShieldAndrew Carta wraps gifts for the

NHS Christmas project.

By Annie Schugart

g page 10

Photos by Annie Schugart | The ShieldTop left: Ms. Dillingham gets into the Christmas spirit, joining her class in wrapping presents.

Bottom left: Students wrap presents during STA Period.

Bottom right: 2013-2014 senior Julia Shields wraps alongside her classmates.

construction industry, so parents may be out of work because of winter weather.

The gifts also benefit families who are just settling in America from other countries. Higgins said that some families have just recently came from Mexico and others are refugees from Burma, all who “are working hard to find jobs and be part of our society.”

“Paying for Catholic education is difficult, but the families feel that it is a priority,” Higgins said.

NHS moderator Chris Berger, who has been coordinating the Christ-mas project for 13 years, believes that it is Aquinas’ duty to give back to these impoverished members of our own communi-ty—especially since most students don’t really understand just how little the students at Holy Name and Resurrection have.

“As the Bible says, that which much has been given, much is expected—as shown in the canned food drive,” he said. “The school as a

whole has been given a lot so we should be able to help these families.”

“The gifts provided by the students and fami-lies of Aquinas provide parents a chance to make a wonderful Christmas for their families,” Perry said. “We are so grateful for your thoughtfulness, and your students and staff are in our prayers.”

Although Aquinas students may never truly know who or how the families were impacted by their contributions, both principals said they receive

plenty of thanks.“The Saint Thom-

as Aquinas Christmas program means so much to our family. Your contri-butions help our kids have presents from Christ-mas that otherwise they wouldn’t have,” an anon-ymous family said in a quote to Higgins. “You are a blessing sent by God. Our children are fortunate to have your program available to them. Thank you and God bless you.”

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TommyTalks

SendiMessage

Future Saints, Welcome to the one and only Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, the building at the top of the hill of 114th and Pflumm, home to just over 900 Saints, and one of the best school in the country. The bricks of these walls hold 27 years of greatness, with the future only looking brighter. Just step into the gym and look up to see the state banners framing the walls— the same walls that have witnessed countless sporting events, incredible homecoming skits, a sea of fans linked together in the singing of our Alma Mater, teams from each of the grades struggling to pass an orange down their line using only their necks as their classmates roar behind them in our Spring Olympics, and priests relating Jesus to M&M’s or to the zombie Apocalypse. Step outside into the commons, where the best cookie you’ll ever taste is served every day, where the entire student body came together to send off our beloved teacher Mr. Brown to serve our country, and where you can lay on a sea of cans come November when the tens of thou-sands of cans come through the doors in our record breaking canned food drive. Passionate teachers are in each classroom and the hallways are home to an incredible student body, whose diverse talents have landed them on a national stage in academics, athletics, and activities. This building has been a second home to thousands of saints who have truly become one family, striving to push each other to never before seen levels of success. Saint Thomas Aquinas has a niche for every stu-dent to fit into if they look for it, and it truly is considered a home to all the students who have graced its halls. So remember that it’s always a great day to be a Saint, and I look forward to seeing you next year.

-Tommy

Art NHSBaseball

BasketballBig Sis Lil SisBrigade Band

Canned Food DriveCheerleadingChess Club

ChoraleChristian Outreach

Concert ChoirCross Country

Daily MassDaily Rosary

DecadeDance Team

Dead Poets SocietyDebate

Dinner TheaterDrama

Fashion ClubField Hockey

FootballForensics

French Club

French NHSGame Day Themes

German ClubGerman NHS

GolfHomecoming

EventsHunger Banquet

Int. Thespian Society

Irish ClubJazz Band

Japanese ClubKairos

Key ClubLacrosse

Magazine SaleMarch for LifeMission Trips

MusicalNational Honor

SocietyNewspaper

Pieces Literary Magazine

Quidditch ClubRugby

STAPLESSaint for a DayScholars Bowl

Science OlympiadSenior Ambassador

Show ChoirSoccer

SoftballSpanish ClubSpanish NHS

Spirit ClubSt. Albert

Science ClubStagecraft

Student CouncilSwim & DiveTeens for Life

TennisTrack & Field

VolleyballWalk for Life

WrestlingYearbook

gpage 13

For the seventh year, over one hundred girls at Aquinas prepare once again to chop off at least eight inches of their hair to donate to cancer patients, as well as to take a public stand against cancer.

“It has been amazing to see the response to Wigs Out over the past seven years,” founder and Performing Arts Department Chairwoman Kim Harrison said. “I love seeing more and more guests come into the building that day just to witness this gift the girls are giving to someone they have never met.”

FROM THE BEGINNING...

Wigs Out began in 2007 when Harrison’s nephew was sick with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. She decided to grow her hair out so that she could donate her hair to a cancer wig organization that spring. After noticing that some girls in her classes had long hair, she had the idea to get a few other girls to cut their hair after school one day with her.

“It seemed almost every girl I approached

about donating her hair said yes,” Harrison said.

But instead of cutting it in her classroom after school that first year, they ended up cutting it at the Community Service Mass. 60 girls participated the first year.

...TO WHAT IT IS TODAYNot only has the

event grown at Aquinas, with typically over a hundred girls participating each year at the Wigs Out assembly, but it has also expanded into other schools because of Harrison’s original idea. Several schools saw Wigs Out covered

on the news and then approached Harrison about starting it up at their own school. Saint James, Blue Valley West, Piper, Saint Teresa’s Academy, Benedictine, and Lindenwood University have all hosted similar Wigs Out events within the past two years, thanks to Harrison’s original undertaking.

Preparation for this year’s Wigs Out assembly has been extensive, and people from outside Aquinas even help out in whatever ways possible. For example, Harrison posted on her Facebook

Campus News

Hear UsRoar

By Annie Schugart

Over one hundred Saints prepare to take a stand against cancer

at the annual Wigs Out assembly by donating a minimum of

eight inches of hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

gpage 14

Photo courtesy of Michele GressPaige Wallace, Lainey VanBlaricum, and

Megan Root prepare to have their hair cut at the 2014 Wigs Out assembly.

gpage 15

promoting the event, and a guy from her high school sent her eight inches of his hair through Fed Ex to help with this year’s totals.

Preparation wasn’t all easy, however. She ordered Wigs Out shirts with this year’s theme, “Hear Me Roar” on them, but after a mishap with the shirt company printing them wrong, they had to be reprinted. She also said the wristband company fell through with their order this year. Yet Harrison still remains positive that this year will be another great year for Wigs Out.

A DIFFERENT PERSPECIVE

For senior Ellie Herter, this year will take on a bit of a different meaning.

During last year’s Wigs Out assembly, her parents received the call

that her dad had been diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer.

Herter’s older sister had donated her hair during the first year of Wigs Out at Aquinas, and Herter donated as a freshman. Because Wigs Out already had a significance to them, her dad said immediately after being diagnosed that their family needed to be involved the next year.

Herter, whose father passed away this month after only being expected to live four months after his diagnosis, will be giving one of the speeches at Wigs Out along with her older sister.

For her, the Aquinas community has been an incredible aspect of everything her family has gone through.

“My dad wore his Saints stuff to chemo

because he was proud to explain to people why that school and that community was backing him up,” she said. She also mentioned how great it was that everyone wore purple the day she came to school and how Aquinas students previously had attended benefit events that her aunt and family friends set up.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much the little things like the communities really do mean to these people,” she said. “No one has any idea how much that means to people that are actually going through it.”

Herter spoke about a time her dad was on a plane on his way for treatment, and he sat next to a woman who was wearing a wig. He told her that Herter had donated her hair, and the woman said the wig had been

her lifesaver. Although Herter’s father didn’t lose his head hair, Herter still realizes how big of an impact losing hair can have on a person.

“The woman said she finally felt normal [with the wig]. No one realizes how much hair means,” Herter said. “We’re all concerned, like ‘our hair isn’t going to grow back’ [after cutting it at Wigs Out], but it makes them feel normal, and that’s the biggest support and help you can give them—to make them feel somewhat normal.”

Wigs Out is certain to be a meaningful event for not only Herter but for everyone involved.

“I really think Wigs Out shows people what a community we are at Aquinas,” Harrison said. “We are going to cut a lot of hair on Friday and kick some cancer butt.”

Features

QueenDancingthe

Kristin Sudeikus

performed at

THE NIKE BLAST

in Sweden in

February 2014.

Photo courtesy of Kristin

Sudeikis

by Annie Schugart

“Find your intention, and allow doors to open as you know what ia at the base of what you want to experience on this planet. ”

- Kristen Sudeikisg page 18

Kristin Sudeikis, class of 1997 Homecoming queen, has gone from choreographing for

Aquinas musicals and dance team to choreo-graphing in Sweden on the stage Beyonce

performs on.

Aquinas alumna Kristin Sudeikis has gone from dancing on the stage of the Aquinas theater to dancing on the stage Beyonce dances on.

Sudeikis, class of 1997, is an established choreographer in New York City--most recently teaching classes in Sweden for Nike in early February.

Sudeikis started dancing at the age of three and continued to dance throughout her time at Aquinas. As a freshman, she was asked to choreograph for Aquinas’s musical “Greece” and continued to choreograph and participate in musicals throughout the years. She was also a part of the varsity dance team and StuCo, as well as crowned 1996 Homecoming Queen.

“As a high school student, I just knew that I’d always be dancing,” Sudeikis said. “I saw myself giving dance to as many people as possible, creating dance in whatever way that I could. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity [to dance and choreograph at Aquinas].”

After studying dance outside of school at Miller Marley, Sudeikis began spending her summers dancing in New York City and Los Angeles. She received a scholarship from Mia Michaels, who is now known for her choreography for “So You Think You Can Dance.” After graduating from Aquinas, Sudeikis started toured with a dance company based in Texas, teaching and choreographing for

them. Sudeikis went on to major in dance at the University of Kansas, where she was also a part of the dance team and dance company.

Upon graduating from KU, she moved to New York City, where she said she had known in her gut since she was 13 “without a shadow of doubt” that she would live there.

Sudeikis has since then started her own company, the Kristin

Sudeikis Dance Company. She was previously a choreographer for the NBC series “30 Rock,” has danced for Mariah Carey, and was featured on “Good Morning America” and “The Today Show.”

“I feel very called to keep moving, keep people moving, and continue to

try to move people from the inside out—to move their minds, move their heart, move their souls,” she said. “I want to keep creating as much as I can.”

She also feels strongly about dancing for social change. Her company performs shows with a portion of proceeds going to an organization, such as an organization called GEMS to assist the victims of child trafficking in New York. She now teaches dance to the kids assisted by the organization as well.

“Instead of just dancing, we we’re dancing for

a purpose,” she said. “When an audience comes, they know that they’re part of something greater than ourselves, something that can make a difference in the world, something that can change a life.”

Sudeikis also founded the Pro-Love Movement clothing line and social change movement in 2011 with the motto “Be love. Wear love. Promote love.” Sudeikis is currently rebuilding the movement and will be relaunching it in the next six months with a new name.

“[The Pro-Love Movement] is just another way of creating consciousness in the world or creating conversation in the world,” she said.

Sudeikis continues to teach classes in New York City and choreograph for her dance company, as well as choreograph and teach at events such as THE NIKE BLAST. This year’s event, which took place Feb. 1 to 2 in Stockholm, Sweden, was Sudeikis’s fourth year teaching.

Four years ago, a woman working for Nike happened to be in a class Sudeikis was teaching, Sudeikis didn’t know at the time. Later, Sudeikis received an email which she “thought

was fake.”

Features

“ I feel very called to continue to try to move people from the inside

out —to move their minds, move their hearts, and move

their souls.

KRISTIN SUDEIKIS”

g page 19

“I try to always give all that I can, whether there are 10 people in the class or 100 or 100—that really matters to me,” she said. “And it happened to be someone walked into my class that I didn’t know that was looking for someone to hire for Nike.”

There were 2300 people in attendance at THE NIKE BLAST this year.

“The stage is enormous, very dream-like. [I felt] extremely grateful,” Sudeikis said. “I honestly felt that grateful even way back when I got the opportunity to choreograph Greece [at Aquinas]. All of it serves a same quality of a feeling.”

Sudeikis remains thankful for her experiences as Aquinas as well as at her dance studio, Miller Marley.

“I think when any teacher or coach has faith in you and allows you to do what you do, the benefits are just infinite,” she said.

Sudeikis said she appreciates the willingness of the musical director as well as her dance team team director, Judy Frankovic at the time, to have faith in her to choreograph at a young age.Frankovic, now Visual Arts Department Chairwoman, clearly remembers Sudeikis.

“So many of the kids respected her. So many times when you have a huge talent, your head kind of gets above that and people get turned off really fast, and that never happened,” Frankovic said. “She was always very down-to-earth, very humble.”

Frankovic said her dance talent was definitely evident at

the time. She remembered a time Sudeikis stopped doing fouette turns because she got tired, and Frankovic had already counted 17. Frankovic also said her choreography was “really fun and showy” and that she has “always been just an amazing choreographer.”

“Sometimes you would think you’d get really busy with all that, but her talents never kept her from being a truly genuine, nice person,” Frankovic said.

Sudeikis said her purpose of choreography is to give back.

“Dance is such a gift to the world and it’s been such a gift to me personally, and so many people have influence me,” she said. “I want to give that gift to as many people as possible in whatever way I can.”

Features

Words of Wisdom from Kristin Sudeikis

“Don’t wait for anyone else to tell

you to do it, just go.”“Continue to be kind—to

yourself, to those you intersect with.”

“Surround yourself with

people you want to be like

because that is exactly what

will happen.”

“Remember that love is always the answer.”

“Share your gifts. Gifts are meant to be given.”

“My advice to the seniors of Aquinas is pause. And then to breathe. It can all be so overwhelming. In 2014, [with] all the stuff coming at you, just breathe. And know that it will all be okay, more than okay.”

gpage 20

CLEAN JOKE OF THE MONTH

What do you call a fat psychic?

A four chin teller!

Submitted by The Shield Staff

The AlmA mATer[Sung AfTer every gAme no mATTer The ouTcome]

We gather here together, as friends we’re side by side,To sing our alma mater, with unity and pride.

To her we will be faithful, and always will be true.Forever loyal to STA, her banner gold and blue.

Though years may separate us, our memories live on,Her spirit ever present, our strength and shield, our song.As we go down life’s pathway, our fath will keep us strong.

AMOR VINCIT OMNIA:LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL.

gpage 21

A lifelong love of soccer, a knack for business, and a desire to give back to the community. Madison Holmes was able to combine all three of these things to create her nonprofit organization, Recycle Your Game.

In addition to being an Aquinas student and varsity soccer player, Madison Holmes is enrolled in Blue Valley’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) Global Business program. At the beginning of this year, she was given an assignment to create a business plan using the product plan, marketing plan, and financials. This is how Recycle Your Game originated. Recycle Your Game is a nonprofit organization that collects donated new and gently used soccer gear to be given to disadvantaged youth

within the Kansas City area.“Soccer has been such a large

influence in my life, and since I’m already surrounded by a lot of networks I thought it would be easy to find help and use connections,” said Holmes.

After creating her business plan, Holmes pitched the idea to Sporting Kansas City CEO and Co-Owner, Robb Heinemann, and

other Sporting members. Sporting KC officially decided to pick up the organization, and Holmes was introduced to a video team, a logo design group, an event planning committee,

major executives, and Sporting players.

Recycle Your Game’s first event was at the Sporting KC Jersey Launch at the Charles Wheeler Downtown Airport on

March 4. This event, which was attended by 3,000 fans, welcomed back returning players, introduced new players, and revealed the new jerseys. Sporting gave Holmes her own table at the event, where donations of jerseys, shoes, shin guards, socks, and soccer balls were collected. Sporting KC also offered Holmes different player spokespersons. She chose Andy Gruenebaum, Blue Valley North graduate and newly signed Sporting goalie, as her spokesperson.

“I’ve been friends with Andy for a long time and have a good relationship with him. So although Sporting gave me the opportunity to have big name players such as (Graham) Zusi, I chose Andy,” said Holmes.

Junior Olivia Meyers and senior Mary Disidore, both varsity soccer players and friends of Holmes, helped her at the Jersey Launch event.

“It was a lot of fun to hang out with Andy and the other Sporting players, but it was also fun to see the impact that Madison’s organization is going to make,” said Meyers.

Features

Holmes Spreads Soccer Love To

Disadvantaged KidsJunior Madison Holmes is the CEO and the Founder of Recycle Your Game,

a nonprofit organization that allows her to share her love of soccer with underpriveleged kids.

By Janie Bachkora

Just knowing that my organization

can help even one underprivileged kid makes

the countless hours of work and insane levels of

stress worth it.

MADISON HOLMESClass of 2015

”

“

g page 22

Photo courtesy of MADISON HOLMESSporting Kansas City players distribute donated soccer equipment and play games with underprivileged kids at a redistribution clinic. Equipment collected by Recycle Your Game will be distributed at a redistribution clinic at the end of this month because it is National Recycling Month.

It was fun to see the impact that Madison’s organization is going to make.

OLIVIA MEYERSClass of 2015

“”

Recycle Your Game’s first collection of equipment at Sporting KC Park was at their March 22 match against San Jose. At home games, there are three different donation locations at the three entrances with the heaviest game day traffic. At each location, there are two or three informed Recycle Your Game volunteers. Twenty minutes into the first half, the volunteers gather the donated items and bring them to the lower level of the park. The equipment is sorted, washed, and then transported to the downtown offices where it will be stored until a distribution clinic.

At the end of this month (national recycling month,) Sporting KC and Recycle Your Game plan on having a redistribution clinic which will feature Sporting players directly giving the kids the donated gear and even playing some games with them.

Madison is just now getting to see the results of her countless hours of hard work. For the past six months, she has been traveling to Sporting KC Park and Sporting KC’s downtown offices once a week, constantly emailing and

calling her business partners, and occasionally updating her business plan.

“I think that the redistribution clinic at the end of this month is going to be when I finally see how much I am benefiting others. I have been so privileged to be able to play the game that I love so much for so long. I want to share my love of soccer,” said Holmes. “I want to inspire little kids to work hard and have fun. I think that just knowing that my organization can help even one underprivileged kid makes the countless hours of work and insane levels of stress worth it.”

Recycle Your Game has a possibility of growing much larger

than it currently is. They may begin to set up collection bins at popular soccer complexes in the Kansas City area such as the Overland Park Soccer Complex, Lone Elm Soccer Complex, and Heritage Soccer Park. The organization could even expand far beyond Kansas. The equipment could be distributed to underprivileged youth throughout the United States or even in some of the Sporting KC players’ home countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Haiti, Columbia, and El Salvador.

As college approaches, Holmes has to make a decision about what to do with her organization. Sporting KC has already agreed to execute the Recycle Your Game initiative throughout the 2014 season. If they decide to continue with the organization in the 2015 season, they have agreed to absorb the organization from Holmes, making it fully their nonprofit organization.

“I just hope that the Recycle Your Game initiative will continue,” said Holmes.

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Most people would like to go some place warm for spring break, but for the Saint Thomas Aquinas rugby team, they went somewhere far from warm sands and relaxation.

This year, the Aquinas rugby team fund raised enough money to travel to Ireland to experience international rugby and foreign culture.

FundraisingThe cost of a trip to Ireland

for an entire rugby team, the coaches, equipment, and jerseys is not cheap. Throughout the

year, the team had to get together and fund raise enough money to substantially reduce the overall cost of the trip.

Wine TastingThe first fundraiser the team

put on was a Wine Tasting event that was held at the Mills Farm Clubhouse in January which helped fund money to pay for the team’s equipment and coaches’ travel expenses.

Mouse RacesThe second fundraiser

was held at Prince of Peace in February. In the basement, hundreds gathered as the team organized a system of different

mouse-related betting games. The two events were the ‘Mouse Races’ and ‘Mouse Roulette.’

The events held raised enough money to pay for a significant amount of the funds for the players’ trips.

TourismWhen the team was in Ireland,

they didn’t just play rugby the whole time. Some days, the team would visit some of Ireland’s well-known iconic tourist spots.

The team visited the Cliffs of Moher, two different rugby stadiums, and the Guinness Brewery.

The Aquinas rugby team takes on

for spring break

I r e l a n dSports

By Troy HilderhofThe Saints’ rugby team travels to Ireland over their spring break to tour the country and play elite Irish rugby teams.

g page 24Photo courtesy of Jack Casey

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RugbyThe Aquinas rugby team has

bad enormous success. They have won state for the past six years, have gone to nationals the past three years, and are currently ranked ninth in the nation.

This spring break, the Aquinas rugby team took their talents to Ireland to face some of the top premier rugby programs in the world.

The first thing the team did once they got to Ireland was have a training session with one of Munter’s professional coaches. Munster is one of the top professional rugby clubs in Europe.

On the second day, the team had their first game against Old Crescent Rugby Club which Aquinas won 14-12.

“It was cool to play at such a high level of rugby that we’re not able to experience in the States,” Jack Casey said. Casey is co-captain of the team and hopes to continue his rugby career in college.

Two days later, Aquinas played top-ranked St. Muchen and lost 35-12.

“Being able to play in Ireland was a great learning experience for the team,” Co-Captain Joe Connor said. “We can definitely benefit

from the trip by taking what we’ve learned in Ireland back home.”

For the third and final game, Aquinas played Westport Rugby Club and won 32-5.

“In the final game we were able to use all the skills we learned from the previous games and training on the tour,” junior Stephen Flaspohler said.

The Aquinas rugby team left for Ireland March 14 and got back March 23. During that week, the team learned many skills that will help benefit their play for the rest of the season and help achieve their overall goal: winning nationals.

Photo courtesy of Michele Gress

Cross Country GirlsAchieve PerfectionThe girls cross country team made history with a perfect score at the state meet.

Photo by Troy Hilderhof | The ShieldSeniors Bailee Cofer and Grace Geiger and junior Emily Downey lead the way in the state championship race. The girls swept the Top 3 places with sophomore Monica Sneed in 4th.

By Troy Hilderhof

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The Saint Thomas Aquinas girls’ cross country team earned a perfect 15 points at the 2013 5A Cross Country State Championship meet at Rimrock Farm on Nov. 2.

The girls’ team was lead by senior Bailee Cofer, who won individually with a time of 15:28. She was closely followed by junior Emily Downey and senior Grace Geiger in second and third.

This path to this incredible achievement, however, didn’t start in the fall. The team started their ambitious training during the summer mornings.

“We have been training since the end of May, two weeks after track ended,” Geiger said. “We didn’t take any breaks until now, which is our two week break before winter runs start. In the summer we racked up over 500 miles running.”

The summer runs the team started at 7 a.m. weekdays at Aquinas. Anyone could show up and run for fun if they wished, but the committed runners got down to business early. The varsity would start running as early as 6:30 a.m.

The preseason coaches poll ranked the Saints second behind Bishop Carroll.

“No one really knew we were coming since we had lost six seniors,” Geiger said. “We knew we would have to fill in the spots because there was only two

returning varsity runners (Cofer and Downey). But a lot of people stepped up, and we were surprised when we started to beat a lot of the Aquinas girls’ cross country times from last year’s races. It was a great feeling to know all the hard work was paying off!”

However, the path to state was just beginning.

The juniors and seniors prepared for state by running up to 55miles per week. A practtice run may contain a 13-mile long run to Corporate Woods.

After months of arduous training, state was already here. The team was ready.

“The night before state I wasn’t too nervous because I knew all the hard work would pay off,” Geiger said. “I felt so confident, and I just kept picturing in my mind crossing the finish line right next to my teammates. Mental picturing really works for us the night before

meets.”And crossing the finish line next

to her teamates is exactly what they did.

“Crossing the finish line at state was the best feeling ever,” Geiger said. “I was five seconds behind Bailee and only a couple behind Emily, and it was amazing to know that our dreams and goals had come true.”

When Cofer crossed the finish line, she said it all happened so fast, and it seemed surreal at first.

“It still doesn’t seem like I crossed the finish line,” Cofer said right after the race. “It still hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Cofer, Downey, Geiger, and sophomore Monica Sneed placed 1st through 4th followed by a 7th place finish by sophomore Abbey Hopfinger. But since the 5th and 6th place girls were individuals from Andover and Kapaun, they didn’t count for team scores. That bumped Hopfinger to 5th, making it a perfect score: 15.

“It was so cool standing in the finish shoot surrounded by blue and gold, and I could here the speaker over the intercome screaming that we were making state history,” Geiger said. “It was the best day ever, and I wish I could relive that day over and over again.

Sports

“I could hear the speaker over the

intercom screaming that we were making

state history.

GRACE GEIGERClass of 2014 ”

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Football’s New EraBy: Jordan Bartz

Sports

New coach Randy Dreiling has changed the offseason training program along with the expectations of his players

Starting in January Randy Dreiling took over as Head Coach for the Saint Thomas Aquinas football team after 29 years of experience—17 at Hutchison.

Dreiling said, “It was a bit of an adjustment coming to Aquinas. The dress code and the pre-game mass are different from what I’m used to, but overall it’s a lot alike. Kids are kids. They may not know it, but they all want the structure and discipline because they are all trying to do the same thing.”

Since starting he has been implementing his new offseason program.

Dreiling said, “We started training in January with weights and have continued that through the summer three times

a week. We also took varsity down to a tournament at Pitt State with 13 other teams.”

Senior Kyle Bollig said, “This offseason has been more intense. The new weights program requires us to commit everyday and make

us much more accountable.”

The summer weights program consisted of workouts on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Each day the players lifted for one hour, then they

ran for about 30 minutes, and then had normal practice for an additional hour, when allowed.

Bollig said, “Practice started at 6:00 A.M. and would last until about 8:30 A.M.”

Dreiling said, “On our Thursday

practices we run our 40s . We started the offseason running only ten and each week we would add three more so at the start of the season we would end up running 40 40s.”

On Mondays

the team focused on speed. On Wednesdays they focused on agility, and on Thursdays they ran 40s.

“With the kids we have here and the work that we have put in this summer, I think that we will be in the mix at the end of the season. I think that we will go into each game thinking that we can win,” said Randy Dreiling .

Bollig added, “The schedule is a bit tougher this year because of our new district, but we’re going in more prepared so I think that we will do pretty well this season.”

Senior Kyle Raunig said, “We have a lot of underclassmen this year that are going to be contributing this year, but I still think

gpage 28

“We are going to be a very explosive

team with a really good chance to go far in the playoffs.

KYLE BOLLIGClass of 2015

”

that we are going to be a very explosive team with a really good chance to go far in the playoffs.”

Coach Dreiling has not only changed the offseason program, but he has also implemented his own system.

“We are going to run the ball more. Ideally we are going to run more, but we also still want to have the productive ‘big play touchdowns’ through the air” said Dreiling.

Bollig said, “For us to achieve our goals this year we are going to have to show our toughness and attitude because we are going in as the underdogs.”

Both Bollig and Dreiling understand how much the crowd can affect the game and the season.

Dreiling said, “People like good football and that’s what we aim to give them. One of the cool

parts of Friday nights is when you can have a sold out game with a rowdy student section. It can be the driving force in what makes our year go well.”

Bollig said, “We will definitely be exciting this year. We will be faster and have a really good defense. There

also won’t be any blowouts this year, unless of course we are the team winning.”

gpage 29

“People like good football and that’s

what we aim to give them.

RANDY DREILINGHead Football Coach”

Jordan Bartz | The ShieldCoach Dreiling watches his team warm up with side runs on their first day of fall practice.

Last Look1

2

5

4

31. 2013-2014 Sophomores in News Orleans

for the sophomore Mission Trip.2. 2013-2014 Executive Student Council

prepare to light the torch of the annual Spring Olympics assembly.

3. Girls dance to the Cha-Cha Slide with their dads at the annual Father-Daughter Dance

that takes place each May.4. Ellie Herter, Ben Trickey III, Lindsay

Huddlestun, and Spencer Gochis in the 2014 Winter play, Leaving Iowa.

5. Canned food stacks up as the week continues. The school ended up collecting

117,705 cans.

Photo by Matt Hallauer

Photo by Tiffany Nguyen

Photo by Hannah Ney

Photo by Rachel Spenner

Photo by Katie Ernst

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of 2013-2014

6. Saints’ cheerleaders link up for prayer. 7. 2013-2014 seniors Allison Sell and Joey Krebs walk into prom at Union Station.8. 2013-2014 junior point guard James Pyledribbles past his opponent.9. The girls’ soccer team celebrates after winning state in overtime.10. Theology teacher Phil Farnan poses with students as Santa Claus.

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8

10

9

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Photo by Jordan Bartz

Photo by Katie Ernst

Photo by Mary K McCanna

Photo by Michele Gress Photo by Hope Thompson

Saint Thomas Aquinas High School

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