The Miegian

Volume 57 Issue 5
January 2014

Boys join the Miege Dance Team p. 2 Goodbye to 2013 p. 8 & 9 Sister Martina Flashback p. 7

Dance Team Breaks the Gender Barrier

By: MaureenMurphy

Real men arent afraid to dance,
says senior Jackson Kurtz. Kurtz is just one
of the six boys who joined the dance team as
special guests for the first time since the
1980s. With the three girls on dance team,
the boys made their first appearance on Jan.
10 at the boys basketball game against Blue
Valley Northwest during halftime.

The initial idea to add boys to the
dance team came about when the competition that Miege participates in every
year added the category co-ed dance. I
hired a choreographer to create a routine,
said Mrs. Nancy Weber, Mieges dance and
cheerleading head coach, I told the choreographer that I did not want a dance that
just had the boys partner dancing with the
girls; I wanted the boys to dance!

After communicating the opportunity to boys around the school, there
were six interested: Frank Burdolski, Evan
Hilderbrand, Kyle Ismert, Jackson Kurtz,
Jacob Pitt and Andy Ritz. It sounded fun.
Also, my dad was a yell leader in college, so
I kind of had a push there, said Evan, the
teams only freshman.

The team spent more than 20 hours
over Christmas break learning and practicing the routine. They are also worked every day after school for about two hours in
preparation for Five Star,the competition
at Olathe South High School on Jan. 18.

The 2013 debate season ended with
a rough loss at State last
weekend.

It was a great
season, and all the debaters worked very hard,
said Mrs. Melissa Reynolds, debate and forensics
teacher. In the past years,
the social aspects and the
work ethics have been
lacking, but not this year.

The Stags took
four teams to State, consisting of seniors Nieky
Allen, Matt Horn, Luke
Juarez and Luke Powell.
The juniors were Janie

Kyle Ismert, Andy Ritz, Frank Burdolski, Jackson Kurtz, Jacob Pitt and Evan Hilderbrand worked hard over
break and after school practicing for their first big performance during the boys game against BVNW. They took
their act to competition last Saturday. Photo by Brenna Albritton

Winter Play Going On As Planned

By: JennieLittleton
Editor-in-Chief

The biggest news about the
winter play is that the play will be
performed on schedule, debuting on
Feb. 13.

Before the winter break and
his death, the shows cast had already

Page 2

By: MariaBaska
staff writer

staff writer

Debate Sends Four Teams to State

been set by Mr. David Steinberg and

had had a read through of the script.

The Scoundrel Scapin,
which will be considered Mr.
Steinbergs last show at Miege, was
also his first show here 26 years ago.
Before that, he had acted in the show
as well, so the show was apparently
close to his heart.

Stepping in to direct is Mrs.

Robin Christie, who has provided the

live music for musicals. She helped
to explain what would happen with
Scoundrel. Mr. Paul Steinberg, the
set director, and someone who has
assisted in many past shows, is also
helping the cast in his brothers place.
Alumni have been invited to practices
and to offer critiques, according to
Mrs. Christie.

www.bishopmiege.com

Why continue? The cast,
who spent the most time around Mr.
Steinberg as students of his passion for
theater, want to do the show in Mr.
Steinbergs honor. They felt he would
have wanted them to continue, said
Mrs. Christie. There will be a few
things added to the opening and the
program to honor his memory.

In short, the show will go on.

January 24, 2014

Sparks, Maddie Swall,

Elliott Vanderford and
MaKaylee Young-Mills.
They did well but not
well enough to win something shiny, said Mrs.
Reynolds.
Our season didnt
end the way we planned,
but we are proud of everything our team accomplished, said Nieky Allen. I thank Mrs. Reynolds for everything that
she did for the team.

All of the underclass debaters said they
are looking forward to
coming back next season
prepared, focused and
ready to all on all the challenges they will face.

Seniors Nieky Allen and Matt Horn were two members of the four teams who represented Bishop
Miege at the State debate tournament last weekend. Photo by Jamie Franklin

Class of 2014
Senior Ad
Deadline
is

next Friday, Jan. 31.

No ads will be
accepted after the deadline.
See the Miege homepage for prices &
details or e-mail Mrs. Hartwig at
hartwigp@bishopmiege.com

January 24, 2014

www.bishopmiege.com

Page 3

Facets Beanie
Facets, the annual literary magazine published
by Miege students to showcase the schools
talent is still accepting submissions for this
years issue. As a fundraiser, the Facets staff
is selling beanies for $8. Those interested in
submitting their work or purchasing a beanie
should see Mrs. Munro in rm. 141.

News
Shorts

Science Olympiad

During Jan. 8-15, BOOKaalooza was once again

sponsored by Page Pirates. Every year, students
are asked to bring in three new or gently-used
childrens books to be donated. This year the
books went to Spofford House. The students
of Miege brought in a grand total of 506 books
in the 2014 BOOKapalooza, compared to last
years 442.

The Miege Science Olympiad team competed

on Jan.18. It consists of 13 members and is
moderated by Mrs. Amy Reed.

Freshman Night
Jan. 25 marks the annual Freshman Night, held
in the gym, commons and auditorium. The
event is hosted by Miege and gives freshmen the
opportunity to know their class better in a much
less-structured environment, something that is
not as achievable during everyday classes. The
event will include an open gym, a DJ and a
movie screening in the auditorium. Admission
is $5.

Sister Martina
Sister Martina reports feeling stronger and being
able to take longer walks each day. She says the
Stags are constantly in her thoughts and prayers
and asks that Miegians continue to pray for her.

Scholars Bowl
Last weekend Mieges Scholars Bowl team
beat Topeka Hayden, then lost to Washburn
Rural in the quarterfinals of Quest at Washburn
University. The team also competed at Olathe
South on Jan. 9. The varsitys next competition
is at the 4A Regional Tournament on Feb. 6 at
Perry-LeCompton High School. Scholars Bowl
is moderated by Mrs. Alison Hirons and Mr.
Dave Mitchell, teachers of chemistry and math,
respectively.

Students Spearhead Haiti Aid Effort

By: MarcoMarquez
staff writer

In 2010 Haiti was hit by a massive 7.0
magnitude earthquake. There were 250,000 to
300,000 deaths, 300,000 wounded and more than
one million people left homeless. Organizations
such as the Red Cross and World Visions are two of
the bigger names that are helping Haiti to recover.
But even small organizations like Geaux Haiti are
putting out a helping hand as well, and Miegians
have a part.

In the past several weeks there were posters
hanging in the Bishop Miege hallways that read
Go Haiti! advertising a fundraiser last weekend
that was be run by the Geaux Haiti organization, a
non-profit started by Grace McGowan, a student at
Barstow. Geaux Haiti works mainly with orphans
and the caretakers or what they refer to as mamas.

Last year Geaux sponsored a talent show to

buy chickens for Haitians to use for meat and eggs.

Then this past summer a group of six, including
Miege freshman James Egan, who is a friend of Grace;
went to Haiti and visited different orphanages and

Geaux Haiti! is
pronounced Go Haiti.
-eaux makes the oh
sound in the French
language, so geaux is
pronounced like the
English word go.
the chicken farm where the mamas were raising the
chickens. I was nervous at first, but I really didnt

Robots Take Over Miege

For Their Annual 8-Week Build

BookaPalooza

know what to expect. When I left I felt good. It was

an amazing experience, and I knew I had done a
good thing, said James about the trip to Haiti.
This year the organization held a fundraiser at 68
Inside Sports. Their mission was to raise enough
money to send the mamas on a retreat to help
their education encourage them and support them.
The retreat will be in Haiti and other mamas from
orphanages will be there. There are a estimated 6-7
mamas and 55-60 orphans.

Geaux has three meanings in the context of
Geaux Haiti; one shows partnership with The Global
Orphan Project. They use GO as their initials. Using
geaux in our name also shows that we want people
to go to Haiti on a trip, interact with the orphans, and
experience life in a third world country. The third
meaning is that they want to build up the people in
Haiti; were cheering go Haiti and we want Haiti
to succeed. Geaux Haiti works mainly with orphans
and the caretakers, says Grace McGowan on the
official Geaux Hati website. More information
about Geaux Haiti is available at geauxhaiti.org.

By: JennieLittleton

Editor-in-Chief

Team 1997, Mieges robotics
team, came together on Jan. 4 to celebrate their season kickoff andfinally
learn what the new competition of
the year would be.

Each year a unique competition is crafted and announced eight
weeks before the competition is held,
and immediately the team goes to
work. A kickoff kit is sent to each
team registered for the competition,
and includes very limited supplies
for them to start building their robots. Luckily this years competition
includes, some similarities to a game

played six years ago, said Mr. Scott

Anderson, long time leader/mentor
to the team, So thats nice.

Some team members tackle
the finances, as robot parts can cost
an immense amount of money, some
even a few thousand dollars. The
other side of the team handles the
building, and each person has a job
that will contribute to the robot being
finished at least a week before competition.

Robotics requires a large time
commitment, and members are suggested to help out up to six days a
week for a few hours each day. Each
member is required to dedicate at
least 13 hours each week. The average member, according to Xavier

Hernandez, spends no more than 19

hours. The Student Board, the most

Daniel Becker, Eli Gress, Tim Moore,

Xavier, and junior Elliot Vanderford.
The team also includes alumni
and adult volunteers.
Xavier, the team captain who
has been involved with robotics all four years, called this
team, the most structured
and organized so far. Xavier
made his big break in robotics by repurposing an old robot for sweeping the floor for
basketball games, something
students may have witnessed
Senior team captain Xavier Hernandez (right)
in the past couple of years.
and sophomore Nick Soptic devise a plan to
Looking at the team and the
build the best robot. Photo by Kristen Agar
competition they must face this
dedicated and time-committed mem- year, Xavier said, I think we are gobers of the group, includes seniors ing to do better than last year.

Miegians March For The Unborn

By: EricBuckels
staff writer

Twenty-four hour bus rides, long stretches
of waiting in lines, and overcrowded streets sound
like a terrible time to some, but what happens on the
Pro-Life trip to Washington D.C. might have been a
life-changing experience for many of the 87 students
and ten chaperones attending this week.

It all started last Sunday with a 24-hour trip
to Washington, D.C. Students and chaperones arrived Monday and were scheduled to have about a
half day of sight-seeing before they settled into their
hotel, but an historic snowstorm was closing down

most of the city.

Tuesday they arrived five hours early for
a Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception, where about 14,000 people
attended along with approximately 400 priests, 40
bishops, and 5 cardinals. The Mass itself was scheduled to be almost three hours long.

According to marchforlife.org, the March
itself began in 1973 as a small demonstration and
rapidly grew to be the largest pro-life event in the
world. The peaceful demonstration has occurred
every year since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court
case, making this weeks number 40.

Wednesday was the day of the March.
Marchers trudged through bitter cold to the Na-

tional Mall along with thousands of other pro-life

supporters. There they listened to politicians, clergy
from a variety of religions and musical performances. The March itself went from the National Mall to
the Supreme Court building.

Thursday morning they packed their bags
and left town. On their way out, they were scheduled to stop at Arlington National Cemetery and
watch the changing of the guard. They were to arrive back at Bishop Miege some time today.

Forty Bishop Miege students also made the
trip to Topeka, Jan. 22 for the Topeka Rally for Life.
They attended Mass, marched to the steps of the
Capitol building, and listened to Gov. Sam Brownback give a speech about abortion.

What are you looking forward to most about the Pro-Life March?
Seeing thousands of people united for one common cause Brenna Albritton
Stories of famous people whose parents almost aborted them Gina Avitia
The number of people that show Megan Smith
To fight for the individual liberties of born and unborn people of this great country Alex Perez
Being a part of something that might be able to change history Maddie Swall

Page 4

www. bishopmiege.com

January 24, 2014

January 24, 2014

www.bishopmiege.com

Page 5

F E A T U R E S

with senior Caitlyn Sutherlin

Mr. Ross Dessert

What were you looking forward to after high school? Traveling to see the
country (By the time I was 22, I had been to all 48 continental states).

Year you turned 17? 1992

What car did you drive? 1976 Chevy Chevette (lime
green) Green Skittle Kermie(similar to this one)

What was the hangout spot back in the day? We used to go to a

spot down by the Potomac River and have bonfires & play music.

Where did you attend high school (city and school)?

Bishop Ireton HS in Alexandria, VA (suburb of
Washington, D.C.)

Did you already have your band? If so tell us a favorite memory

from that? In HS, I was in a band called As Usual. My favorite
memory from that was playing a music festival at Georgetown
University and recording an album.

Favorite music at the time (artist, songs, genre.)?

The Cure, Allman Brothers, Rush, Fugazi, Dave Matthews,
Grateful Dead

Did you use to pull any pranks? If so, share a story or two. We
pulled a lot of pranksmost of which I probably shouldnt share.
My friend Billy and I used to move our classmates cars to different
parking spots. One time, our lacrosse coach showed up to coach
a game and our entire team was out there early doing warm
ups dressed in the girls lacrosse uniforms (skirts and hair bows
included).

What were your favorite school activities (sports, debate,

theater, etc.)? Lacrosse, football, student government,
Youth Encounter (similar to Kairos)
What was your favorite subject? Latin

What was the worst part in your life during this time? My family
was living in Georgia, and I was living in D.C.

Most memorable moment from that time? Winning State

Championship in football or graduation
What did you like to wear? Clothes (usually)
What did you and your friends like to do? Waste
time. Play music. Go to concerts. Go to lacrosse games at Georgetown
or Maryland or Johns Hopkins. I also had a group of friends who liked
backpacking in the Shenandoah Mountains.

Did you have a girlfriend/girlfriends? If so, who was/were she/

they? I had a great girlfriend. She was a really good girl, but she
was also adventurous and a bit mischievous. She was so cool that
she drove an old El Camino. We had a lot of good times together.
What were your parents like? Dad was great but pretty strict. He was
a colonel in the Army. Mom was very selfless. We had 10 kids, and she
sacrificed a lot!
Compiled By Marco Marquez

Yu-gi-Oh! Makes A Resurrection From the Grave into the Commons

By: EricBuckels
staff writer

You may hear them shouting in
the joy of victory or groaning in the agony of defeat. They have drawn crowds,
stares, laughs and intrigued viewers.
Their presence has become well-known
in the Commons. The eight students who
play Yu-Gi-Oh! in the Commons after
school are here to stay.

Yu-Gi-Oh! is a trading card game
that originated in Japan and is based on
the fictional game of duel monsters according to yu-gi-oh-cards.net. Konami
first launched the game in 1999. In 2009,
it was named the top-selling trading card
game by the Guinness Book of World RePage 6

cords. The game itself is a battle-based pez, freshman; Michael Derickson, freshtrading card game in which players draw man, Michael Landes sophomore; Malfrom decks they compiled themselves lory Fellows, sophomore; TJ Fosselman,
and put them
sophomore; Timothy
onto the field,
Keens freshman, Bobby
says yu-gi-ohSinow, freshman, and
cards.net. There
Bryan Clingan, sophoare two ways to
more.
win, make your
Michael Landes said,
opponents life
We all started playpoints run out;
ing after cross counor if your oppotry season, we enjoy
nent runs out of
the game and wanted
cards to draw.
to share the fun with
T h e
other people like us.
eight regulars The Yu-Gi-Oh group comes to duel after The group plays every
who play af- school in the commons. You must bring day for about an hour
ter school are your own deck if you wish to challenge until robotics practice
Madalene Lo- opponents. Photo by Eric Buckels
starts. While only two
www.bishopmiege.com

can play at a time, the others watch the

action closely or play Pokmon on their
Nintendo DSs to pass the time.

Asked why they enjoy playing their answers were simliar. Timothy
Keens said, I enjoy hanging out with
my friends and learning how to play the
game. Madalene Lopez said, Hanging
with my friends is a great time. Bobby
Sinow simply said, Everyone is hilarious.

For the future, the group hopes
more people will become interested and
play. Michael Derickson said, I want this
thing to turn into an actual club. I want
lots of people playing, having a good
time and meeting people that like the
same thing.
January 24, 2014

By: MariaBaska
staff writer
What is your favorite thing about Miege?
I can be my extremely strange self.
How long have you been involved with the
theater department at Miege?
Since the spring One Acts my freshman year.
Do you do any theater work outside of school?
Ive been in Theater in the Parks Children
of Eden, a student run production of Into the
Woods, and Im starting to do some improv.
Ive also been/will be in Alex Murfeys movies
Macbeth and Victoria.
What made you decide to get your storm
chasing license? How do you qualify for one?
I watched the movie Twister, and I was like
hey that looks fun, so Ill be able to hopefully
get it when I turn 18.
What does a storm-chaser actually do?
Drives fast and avoids flying cows.
What are the best and worst parts about it?
Living to tell the tale, and getting stuck in Oz.
What do you want to study in college?
Meteorology, and maybe some wildlife biology
or something of the sort.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Being Discovery Channels overdramatic storm
chaser.
What is your goal in life?
Always keep laughing and make life
interesting.

Flashback
1972!

When I was 17

10 Questions

lelled their own experience.

Who is your role model and why?

Mr. Steinberg. He set the bar high, and
wouldnt quit until the show was even higher. Caitlyn Sutherlin played Kitty in the fall musical,
The Drowsy Chaperone. Photo by Kristen Agar
January 24, 2014

www.bishopmiege.com

The high point of Sisters trip

was touring Dantes tomb in
Rome.

Page 7

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014

movies, music & more

media highlights of 2013:

highest grossing and most popular singles, films and tv shows of the year

Miege : a year told in school-related events

what happened at
February

January
Mrs. Salazar
steps in as
CMT Director
after the death
of Mrs. Mary
Perrini.

Students fail to
reach quota in
cookie dough
sales.

March

Both Mieges
turf and
baseball fields
are covered
with 8 inches of
snow.

April

May

Bishop Miege
hosts its first
handball
tournament.

CMT Office is
dedicated to
Mrs. Perrini

June
Miege's
baseball field
back stop is
crushed after a
huge storm.

August

July
We are
counting the
days until
the opening
of the new
school year.

Students
spot the new
bronze crucifix
watching over
the football field
at Dixon Doll
Stadium.

September

box-office hits
November

October
Homecoming kicked off
with its theme
"I Would Walk
1,000 Miles."
Mattea Pezza is
crowned Homecoming queen.

The 25th
annual Stag
Strut is a
success.
The student
body raised
$58,866.33.

Volleyball
and soccer
both conquer
4A State. The
Miege production of
The Drowsy
Chaperone is
a huge hit.

World : major events that you may have missed

2013!

leave it in

Page 8

A 2-year
old U.S. girl
becomes the
first child born
with HIV to be
cured.

staff writer

Bill Gates again

becomes the
worlds richest
man with $72.7
billion after
losing the
position in 2008.

The Boston
Marathon is
bombed by
two brothers.

By: AndrewGleason


Last year was one of ups and downs.
In 2013, major leaps were made in the fields
of medicine and technology, and new movie/
album/book releases had fans everywhere
going crazy. But with the good must come the
bad. For every positive aspect of 2013, there
seemed a negative alternative, especially in
the realm of pop culture. In the hope that 2014
will be better than 2013, The Miegian has compiled a list of words, people, and trends that
we hope stay in the past.

May

June
Forty-four
people are
killed by a
lightning
storm in Bihar,
India.

August

July
Eighty people
are killed and
140 are injured
after a highspeed train derails in Santiago
de Compostela,
Spain.

"Twerk" is added
to the Oxford
Dictionary.

September

December
Longtime
faculty member
and head of
the drama
department
David
Steinberg dies
after 26 years of
service.

staggering thoughts
What is your New Year's resolution?

Five hundred
five people
are killed by a
magnitude 7.7
earthquake in
Balochistan,
Pakistan.

miley cyrus

Mileys recent
antics to regain
the spotlight
have been controversial, and
left fans very
divided. Some loved the new
wild party-girl act, while others
thought it was melodramatic and
even trashy.

www. bishopmiege.com

November

October

At least 6,000
people are
killed after Typhoon Haiyan,
the strongest
storm recorded
at landfall, hits
the Philippines.

The United
States ends
its 16-day
government
shutdown and
avoids default in
a bipartisan deal
in the Senate.

people who've outworn their welcome:

"Have
better
personal
hygiene."
Delaney
Dodge (11)

December

Nelson Mandela
dies at age 95.
*Both timelines
compiled by
Marco Marquez

words we're tired of:

justin bieber

With news of his paula deen

Food Network
retirement apdecided to drop
pearing on TwitDeens proter in late December, Bieber may
gramming after
be the star most
an interview
likely to fade
showcasing her
away in 2014. He
racist opinions
upset the masses last year with
went viral earlier last year, and
his spoiled brat demeanor and
public opinion of Deen fell to an
immature interactions with just
about everyonefans, politicians all-time low.
and paparazzi included.
People.com

Pope Benedict
XVI announces
his resignation
as of Feb. 28,
the first pope
to resign since
1415.

April

Huffington Post

Lance
Armstrong
admits to
doping in all
seven of his
Tour de France
victories.

March

Vevo

February

January 24, 2014

"To write
'2014' on
all of my
papers. "
Jenna
Ismert (9)

"To dunk in
a game."
Jake
Meurer (11)

facebook

As Facebook became cluttered with more ads and

irrelevant information
(friends Likes appearing on the Newsfeed, for
example) more and more
adv. in a strict sense, but more often used people stopped using the
redundantly (Thats literally impossible!) website. Users instead
flocked to more intuitive
adj. gross, trashy, or repulsive
social media platforms,
such as Instagram, which
gained 128 million users.

ratchet

January 24, 2014

"To party
more."
Jack
Hemberger
(12)

social media mania:

n. a type of dance, e.i. - booty-jacking.

twerk
turn up v. to party, get wild

literally

hot singles

1. "Blurred Lines" by
Robin Thicke/TI/Pharrell
1. The Hunger
2. "Get Lucky" by Daft
1. NCIS
Games: Catching
2. Sunday Night Punk featuring Pharrell
Fire
Williams
Football
2. Iron Man 3
3.
"Wake
Me Up" by Avicii
3. Despicable Me 2 3. The Big Bang
4. "Let Her Go" by PasTheory
4. Frozen
senger
4. Person
5. Man of Steel
5. "La La La" by Naughty
of Interest
5. American Idol Boy featuring Sam Smith

what happened in the

January

as seen
on tv

www.bishopmiege.com

hashtags

Originally created as a form

of organization used to tag
and categorize posts and pictures, hashtags have grown
far past their intended purpose. Theyve been picked
up as an addition to pictures
and texts, serving as almost a
modern PS. Though often
clever/humorous, hashtags
are dangerously close to becoming more annoying than
charming.

selfie overload

Most phones and tablets

released last year had
aselfie or front-facing
camera. This would explain the increasing presence of selfies on social
media sites. Taking pride
in your appearance is
one thing, but subjecting
the world to 20+ selfportraits is a bit over the
top.

Page 9

O P I N I O N

The Chiefs Postseason Really...

The Pope is Stirrin it Up

The Battle Between Welfare and Private Charity

By: EricBuckels

example, a man in need should

two counts. First, 80 percent of pri-

is a Catholic.

friends, then acquaintances, then

need, while only 30 percent of tax

ist or and right wing extremists, he

staff writer

things, he is not a left wing extrem-

He was Time magazines

person of the year, The Advocate

Person of the Year (Americas old-

Democratic

Party

along with unions, the media, and

some political actions groups are
calling for more government-enforced income redistribution (tax-

ing the rich and giving it to people

who pay either no taxes or much

lower taxes). Into the discussion
came Pope Francis with a statement entitled Evangelii Gaudium,

or The Joy of the Gospel as his 2013

apostolic exhortation. In this he

declared that income inequality is

an injustice. This statement has

been widely cited by numerous favoring the redistributing wealth.

In order to attain income

equality some politicians call for

a higher minimum wage, extension of unemployment benefits,

and higher taxes on the wealthy.

But the Pope calls for none of these
Page 10

more

a local Church, then a private

charity, then the city government,

then county government, etc. The

Income inequality
is an injustice.

Man of 2013. The new pope has

The

wants

private charity. When the govern-

quire magazines Best Dressed

pope

compassion for the poor through

est gay news magazine), and Es-

certainty made an entrance.

The

first be helped by his family, then

teaching of solidarity,

as found in the Cat-

echism of the Catholic Church says, Rich

nations have a grave

ment steps in to help the poor that

moral responsibility toward those

in our obligation to help the needy.

means of their development, it

means We the people have failed

He remind[s] all, that the rich
must help, respect and promote

the poor. I exhort you to generous

solidarity . This sounds like a
call for private charity, not a call
for government taxation.

Two

Churchs

of

the

teachings

Catholic
reaffirm

this call for private charity. The

Churchs teaching of subsidiarity as found in the Catechism of

which are unable to ensure the

continues by stating this task is

part of the vocation of the lay
faithful, acting on their
own initiative with
their fellow citizens.

Private

charity
wins
o n

vate charity goes back to those in

welfare dollars goes to the needy
according to economist James

Rolph Edwards. Second, Catholi-

cism calls for willful assistance to

the poor not mandatory redistribu-

tion of wealth. In essence private

charity is more efficient, it is what
the Church teaches and believes in.

Both the left and the right

can distort the words of the Pope

and turn him in to whatever they

want. Nevertheless, the Catholic

teachings will remain steadfast.
Bishop Miege should continue in their endeav-

ors to help the poor

through
acts

of

By: MarcoMarquez
staff writer

Do you know what grinds
my gears? The Kansas City Chiefs
postseason performance. The last
time the Chiefs had won a playoff
game was when my dad was 26. Hes
now two decades older. Since 1994
the Chiefs are the only team from
the AFC West to not reach the Super
Bowl. Then again we havent been
to the Super Bowl since 1969! Let
that sink in for a little. I dont know
about you guys, but I think it sucks
that we have a season of success
followed by the disappointment of
a head-shaking end.

The most recent frustration
came against the Indianapolis Colts.
Kansas City came out of nowhere in
the first half, scoring left-and-right.
Things were looking great at half
while the Chiefs held a 31-10 lead.
At the beginning of the second half,
the Chiefs came out of the gates
scoring another touchdown and
leading 38-10. Right there they had
shut up critics. Then out of nowhere
the Colts started edging their way
back in. We had put the Colts in a
choke hold, but now they were the
team in position to win the game.

Long story short, the Chiefs
lost again, and the Kansas City
curse lives on for our Chiefs. I was
wrapped in my Chiefs blanket as I

private

right thing and

If you could be any Disney character, who would you be and why?

doing it well.

the Catholic Church states a

community of a higher order should not interfere
in the internal life of
a lower order, depriving the latter of
its functions. For

Photograph: Gregorio Borgia/AP

www. bishopmiege.com

January 24, 2014

Ive learned much from

watching the Chiefs over the past
years. Ive learned that in big games
one half of the team can do the
job while the other half cant. Ive
learned that the team Ive rooted
for can either be very good then
disgusting or just flat out be bad.
I have said it, and Ill say it again,
the Chiefs have been fools gold
for a long time, and Im sick to the
stomach about it.

Is there really such a thing

as the Kansas City curse though?
Yes, I think its safe to say now that
there is one because of the past eight
playoff loses, four of them have
came to the Indianapolis Colts. The
Chiefs havent won a playoff game
since 1994 and the Royals havent
been to the playoffs since 1985.
Even though Sporting KC
did win the MLS Cup, it didnt have
the same effect on people as it did
on others. There is still a curse. Fans
in KC are hungry for a Super Bowl
trophy. Right now we can only brag
about one from 1969, which isnt
much to brag about. The Royals
could win a World Series this year,
but will that be enough for me? No,
I love the Royals and Ive been a
fan ever since my dad showed me
videos of the Royals and Yankees
having at it with each other when
the Royals were in the ALCS.
I love the Chiefs. Theyve
been my favorite KC team from the
beginning, ever since I followed
sports. I can only watch them sixteen
times a year unless were fortunate
enough to make the playoffs. But
when we lose in the playoffs, it
hits me hard because I wonder
when will we break the Kansas City
curse? Did I invest my love for a
football team to real gold or fools
gold? Theres only one way to find
out. Will we hoist another Lombardi
trophy in my lifetime or not?

Staggering Thoughts by Andrew Jezak

charity.

We are doing the

lay in the fetal position. For the next

15 minutes I just glared at the TV
screen, watching our team stun then
be stunned. Already torn inside, I
watched as Colts fans celebrated
over the luckiest win ever. As I shed
tears, I wondered what that feeling
was like. What was it like to have
your team win a playoff game?
Listening to my dad mumble bleep
words under his breathe, I just sat in
silence. It was not a fun night at the
Marquez household.

January 24, 2014

Maddie Anderson (10)

Ariel from The
Little Mermaid; I
used to think she
was my mom.

Conner Galbraith (11)

Tod from Fox and
the Hound because
then I can hang
around Big Mama
all day.

Eli Jurden (11)

Russell from Up,
why you ask? Why
not?

Jeff English
Grumpy
from
Snow White because all my Guidance TAs make me
grumpy.

Emily Brady (9)

Rapunzel from
Tangled because she
likes adventure and
has magical hair.

Austin Bush (12)

Aladdin because
he rides around
on a magic carpet.

www.bishopmiege.com

THE MIEGIAN STAFF

Editor-in-Chief Jennie Littleton

Staff Members Maria Baska
Eric Buckels
Andrew Gleason
Andrew Jezak
Louie LaFeve
Marco Marquez
Maureen Murphy

Photographers Kristen Agar
Brenna Albritton
Jamie Franklin
Lauren Lanter
Adviser - Mrs. Phyllis Hartwig

The Miegian is published monthly by the newspaper staff of Bishop Miege
High School. It is a student-produced
newspaper. The editorial board decides
the content of each issue. Opinions expressed are the views of the writer and are
signed.

The Miegian welcomes material
(letters, guest columns, feedback) from
faculty, administrators, students, parents
and community members. This material
will be reviewed by the editorial board and
published based on the publications letters policy criteria.

Material can be dropped off in
the journalism room (144), or mailed to
the newspaper in care of Bishop Miege
High School. All letters and columns must
be signed. The staff reserves the right to
edit letters for length, language or potential libel, and to refuse any articles or advertising submitted.

All opinion pieces submitted
should contain an address and a phone
number where the writer can be contacted,
because the staff will confirm all letters.

Bishop Miege High School

5041 Reinhardt Drive
Shawnee Mission, KS 66205-1599

Page 11

IEGE SPORTS

Girls await Aquinas Rematch

Lady Stags Winnning Streak Comes To a Tough End

By: JennieLittleton
Editor-in-Chief

Everyone knew the game would be a close one.
On Jan. 17, Mieges ladies headed to Aquinas to play, according to Coach Jeff English, the team that would be
Mieges toughest opponents of the season. The stats going into the game were close: Miege was ranked first in
the State, with an undefeated record of 7-0; Aquinas, fifth
and 6-1, but undefeated in the EKL.

What Miege had going for them: a very smart,
naturally talented, and hard-working team. Aquinas:
three starting seniors, and one junior, plus great talent
and size. The downsides: Mieges team is a little more
inexperienced on the high school varsity level, with only
one senior going into a high-charged game away from

Point guard Shelbie Piggie goes for a basket

against Blue Valley Northwest, helping the team
Photo by Lauren Lanter
achieve another win.
Page 12

the comforts of home. Aquinas relied on a couple key

Jan. 9, the girls met BVN in what would be a high
players to decide the game.
scoring Miege win, 75-70. Madeline Homoly stepped on

The half ended with a score of 26-18, and the the court for the Stags for the first time, and made a big
girls came off the court looking nervous. Senior Lexie difference on the boards. The rescheduled Gardner EdgVillegas had been
erton game brought anothleading the team,
er win for Miege, 70-40.
going after any

In what may arguloose balls and
ably be called one of the
bringing down
most fun games to watch
the rebounds with
for Miege girls basketball,
junior Madeline
the Stags started the Jan. 14
Homoly, another
away game vs. BV with the
huge contributor
score of 6-9 at the end of the
that night. The
first quarter. That would
second half didnt
quickly change. The team
look any better,
continued to feed off each
and the game
other; as freshman Hunter
ended in an upsetBentley used her quickness
ting 40-57.
and agility, junior Kelsey

To sumWolf took to her clasmarize, Mieges
sic straight-through-theshots
never
basket swishes.The game
dropped, the refproved the team could
erees were quesflow together, and they
tionable, and the
won 68-42.
whole thing in
The Stags tore up the
cluded a, what I
court against the small chalconsider,
queslenge of St. James, winning
tionable technical
at home this past Tuesday
against Coach Terwith a score of 67-44.
ry English. Aqui
Watching the team
nas played well,
play leading up to the
highly reliant on
Aquinas game, it seemed
senior shooter Tia
the rivals matchup would
Weledji.
be a nailbiter to the very
D u r i n g Senior Lexie Villegas fights for a basket during the game
end. What spectators saw
Christmas break, against Aquinas last Friday. The close game ended the
at Aquinas seemed to be a
Miege took off on seven game winning streak.
nervous and possibly unPhoto by Brenna Albritton
their dominating
derprepared team, as they
streak after winning the HyVee Shootout with a close just broke down individually instead of building on one
and great game against Freemont (NE) that ended in a another as a team. In less than a month, the girls will face
54-53 win. From there, the Stags beat BVSW Jan. 3, much Aquinas at home, in what one would hope to be a whole
thanks to junior Shelbie Piggie using her dual 3-point new game,with an entirely different atmosphere.
and cut-to-the-basket scoring techniques.
www.bishopmiege.com

January 24, 2014

Shaky But Promising Beginning for Boys

By: LouieLaFeve
staff writer

This year has served as a new beginning of
sorts for the Stags basketball team, and although we

are only a few games into the season, it is already

shaping up to be a memorable one.
The current Stags squad is one of the youngest
in recent memory, with senior McKinley Johnson
as the only returning full-time starter from last
season. Only two other seniors made the roster
this year, guard Lucas
Franco and center Chris
Henry. Three of the five
starting spots are occupied
by underclassmen. Also, it
might be hard to remember,
but head coach Fred Turner
is only in his second season
at Miege.
This youth infusion
has so far had mixed results
for the team, with the boys
going 2-4 overall. However,
after two disappointing
losses to start the season,
they are 2-2 over the past
four games, with both of
their losses coming by a

combined 12 points against tough teams.

They have also had two dominating victories,
one a 60 to 42 beatdown of Gardner-Edgerton,
and the other a narrow 50-43 win over the alwayscompetitive and well coached Hogan Prep Rams.
McKinley Johnsona starter since his freshman
yearhas performed admirably, leading the
team in scoring even though he missed the
opening game. He has also played well on
defense. However, it hasnt been a one-man
show.
Juniors Brennan Dial and Reggie Byers
have both played admirably in the wake of
an injury to key junior Alston Jones, who
will miss the entire season with a broken leg.

Grapplers Pinning Down

Strong Start to the Season

Last weekend Miege wrestlers headed to
Center High School on the Missouri side for the
Yellowjacket Invitational and showed some fierce
red, bringing home a 1st, two 2nd places, a 3rd and
two 4th places.

At this seventh competition of the season,
junior Hunter Friesen was first in his 145 lb. class,
and his twin Chance brought home a second at 138
pounds.

The other second belonged to senior Sean
Maxwell in the 195 division. Vernon White, senior,
was third at 132 lb. Fourth places were seniors Jacob Belfield at 160 lb. and Ryan Madrigal at 182 lb.
Ryan said, Im proud of all our varsity wrestlers,
and its good to see our hard work pay off.

Head coach David Eller said, At this point
in the season we are showing strong improvement.
The team is working hard and focusing on getting
a little better each day.

January 24, 2014

Alston Jones (far left)takes a shot over Blue

Valley Northwest players. Jones is out for
the season due to a broken leg.
Junior guard Reggie Byers dribbles around
Blue Valley North, ending in an extremely
close loss of 44-48.

Top 5 Records

(after 7 competitions)

Ryan Madrigal
Sean Maxwell
Chance Friesen
Hunter Friesen
Alan Bortolotti

16-8-0
16-9-0
13-10-0
10-9-0
10-13-0

Mieges only home competition is the Miege Invitational. Top, there Jacob Belfield takes his place
on the victors stand. Above, Chance Friesen works
to flip his opponent, and right, Mark Muraski
begins his match. Photo by Kristen Agar
www.bishopmiege.com

Page 13

Why Crawl When You Can Fly?

ing second in three of their last five meets, Miege

is looking forward to the challenges to be had during the postseason. The whole team is very deterstaff writer
mined and has the best work ethic in 19 seasons at

According to head coach Dennis Mueller, Miege, states Mueller.
the boys swim and dive team is currently in the
The boys are living up to their coachs
midst of the best season ever. We are physically high praise and more. Results from their last
better than at the end of last season at State. Plac- five meets prove just that. At Blue Valley
West on Dec. 10 they took second place out
of nine teams. In the Turner Invitational
on Dec. 18 they brought home first place
out of 11 teams. At the Lawrence Invite,
the boys were second of six teams, and
at the Topeka Invitational on Jan. 14 Miege finished second in a field of 15 tough and highly competitive teams. The team also swam at Blue Valley
last night.

Sophomore John Schultz remarked, I feel
that we are all improving our skills and having a
great time doing it. Mieges next meet is tomorrow
at Blue Valley Southwest.

Along with their impressive regular season
team accomplishments, quite a few swimmers have
shined individually. Altogether six school records
have been broken. Junior Louie Carter broke the
100 back, senior Mackey Merrill broke the 100 butCarlos Olivas comes up for a breath at the Blue Valterfly, and senior John Pawlewicz broke the 200 IM
ley West meet. Photo by Brenna Albritton
record. Mieges relay teams have also shared in the

success. Louie
Carter,
Jeffrey Martin,
Mackey
Merrill,
and John
Pawlewicz

By: AndrewJezak

broke the
schools 200 medley
record. Louie Carter, Jeffrey Martin, John Pawlewicz, and Jack Wirtz broke
the 200 free record, and
Jeffrey Martin, Mackey Merrill, John Pawlewicz, and Jack
Wirtz
broke the 400 free record.

Still with an outstanding regular season to
conclude, the swimmers have State on their minds,
including their coach, We finished fourth last year,
and we are poised to finish the season on a high note
as the goal is the State title, but well be satisfied
with improving from last year. Sophomore Corbin
Brown adds, We have a really good chance, but it
will become harder further down the road. We just
have to dig deep and go for gold.

Bowling Looking to Put Their Own Spin on Things

back. Last year we lost three really talented bowlers,
which was half of the varsity team, and this year we
have had a lot of people step up and a lot of new
staff writer
talent try out.

Bishop Miege Bowling, which just finished
Senior Jake Grohmann was a bit more cautryouts on Jan. 9, enters its ninth season as a varsity tious. Im not saying were going to win State, but
sport. The Stags return seven seniors and a large we have the making of a good team. Tryouts were
group of underclassmen.
good. I had one of my better outings.
I feel pretty good about the girls this season,
All the returning bowlers have taken a leadsaid senior Remi McDonald. We have a good in- ership role this season, said Remi.A fellow bowler
flux of new bowlers and previous bowlers coming of mine said that the best part of the season is getting to know all of the underclassmen.
Jake said that the hardest part of the season has
been the friction you occasionally feel with your
fellow bowlers during a heated practice.
Remi said that the losses of last years seniors
have been hard. Two of the three guys who qualified for State have graduated now, as have several of
our more talented girls. However, weve come much
closer as a team this year. We all just have a good
time and support each other.
Esh and Gemmill are both really good
coaches, said Jake. I enjoy workSophomore Erin ing with them to better myself as a
DeLorenzi combowler. Bowling might not be a lapetes at her home bor intensive sport, but it requires
alley. Photo by
focus.
Jamie Franklin
The team came in first over-

By: LouieLaFeve

Page 14

www.bishopmiege.com

all in their first meet, beating out Piper and Turner.

Senior Steven Langley came in first overall with a
score of 685.
Optimism is high for the rest of the season, in
Remis words, Individually I think we have a great
chance. If we all have a good day at Regionals then
I think we have a chance to head to State as a team.
I think the
guys have a
good chance
too, theyve
been close
for a few
years.

Chiefs, Just Forget About It and Move On

By: LouieLaFeve
staff writer

Well, that one hurt. The Kansas City Chiefs Jan. 4 45-44 loss to the Indianapolis Colts will most likely go down, at least to this fan, as one of the most
painful losses in sports history. At one point, the Chiefs were up 38 to 10 only
to squander away a 28 point lead to T.Y. Hilton and company.
Five Chiefs players were knocked out of the game, including league
MVP candidate and Pro Bowler Jamaal Charles, his backup Knile Davis, and
Charles fellow Pro Bowlers, Brandon Flowers and Justin Houston.
But it wasnt just injuries. The secondary, who despite All-Pro safety Eric
Berrys brilliance, have been spotty all season, gave up 224 yards to receiver
T.Y. Hilton. The wide receivers dropped enough balls to fill a Chucky-Cheese
ball pit. And our pass rush did not bully the Colts the way they had dominated
the opposition earlier in the season. But, as heartbreaking as it is, its all right.
This isnt the end; its the beginning. This team went 2-14 last season, and
were tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the worst record in the league. Let
that sink in; the JAGUARS. The Jaguars might have more players than fans.
Its weird to think how far away that all seems isnt it? While it ended in a
less than spectacular fashion, this was the first season in a long time when the
Chiefs have really seemed competitive. Head Coach Andy Reid and GM John
Dorsey were clearly the right men for the job. Our last postseason game was
after the 2010 season. It ended in a crushing 24-7 loss against a decent-but-notgreat Baltimore Ravens team. It was obvious that we didnt belong there.

Pro Bowler Jamaal Charles had an

exceptional season for head coach Andy
Reid and the Chiefs. Photo by Kansas.com

2013 Pro Bowlers

QB Alex Smith
RB Jamaal Charles
T Brandon Albert
CB Brandon Flowers
LB Tamba Hali

LB Derrick Johnson
LB Justin Houston
S Eric Berry
DT Dontari Poe
PR Dexter McCluster

2013-2014 Regular Season Schedule

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith
was a big part of
the teams success this year.

Bowlers
Matt Daly
(front) and
Jake Grohmann (back)
await the
results of
their throws.

Photo by FanSided

Photo by Jamie
Franklin

January 24, 2014

This time was different. We lost by one point, on the road, with a quarter of our starters injured, against a tough Colts squad who had previously
beaten two undefeated teams. Quarterback Alex Smith had 4 touchdowns,
our defense had 3 interceptions, and Dwayne Bowe went off for 150 yards and
two touchdowns. We did many things right, even if in the end it wasnt quite
enough.
There are several issues we need to address this offseason. A speedy wide
receiver to serve as a deep target for Alex Smith is essential, as is an upgrade
over Kendrick Lewis at free safety. Keep your eyes on USC wide receiver Marquise Lee and Alabama safety Hasean Clinton-Dix in the draft. Also, if KC
signs free agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, remember that you heard it here
first.
The difference between this offseason and the last one is that in 2013, we
were trying to fill huge roster holes. Now, its less about that and more about
adding weapons to an already competitive team. Its going to take a while
for this one to stop stinging, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The
Chiefs run in the spotlight isnt over just yet; in fact, this is probably just the
beginning.

January 24, 2014

@Jaguars
Cowboys
@Eagles
Giants
@Titans
Raiders
Texans
Browns

www.bishopmiege.com

W 28-2
W 17-16
W 26-16
W 31-7
W 26-17
W 24-7
W 17-16
W 23-17

@Bills
@Broncos
Chargers
Broncos
@Redskins
@Raiders
Colts
@Chargers

W 23-13
L 17-27
L 38-41
L 28-35
W 45-10
W 56-31
L 7-23
L 24-27 (OT)

Page 15

Stein

Saying Goodbye to

Christamas break for the
Stags ended on a sorrowful note
as they learned of the death of Mr.
David Steinberg, longtime theater
teacher.

Mr. Steinberg was born
in Lebanon, MO in 1950. After attending UMKC, he earned a Masters in Fine Arts from California
Institute of the Arts. There he was
first on the scholarship lists and
nominated for a National Endowment of the Arts Directing Intern-

ship.

Once he finished school,
Mr. Steinberg began a long and
successful career as an actor, writer, and director of fine arts at numerous schools and playhouses
across the country. In 1987 he became head of the theater department at Bishop Miege. During
his career Steinberg directed and
served as mentor to thousand of
students in more than100 plays
and musicals. He wrote five plays,

two of them
have been produced and one
won the Playin-Progress contest at Rockhurst
University in 2005.

His memorial service was
Jan. 4 in Bishop Mieges auditorium. The auditorium was filled
to capacity with current students,
alumni, teachers, family, and
friends. He was 63 at the time of
his death.
By Eric Buckles

Musical theater is one of the most rapidly changing art forms. Scripts are
becoming less linear and more affected by free form styles of art such as
jazz, performance art and progressive dance.
~David Steinberg

Stein preparing for Much Ado About

Nothing, last years winter play.
Pictures courtesy of Paul Steinberg.

76 5

(Musicals, Plays, & Acts)

2
32

Plays Written

This picture, taken at the beginning of last school year,

shows the camaraderie among the four teachers who had
taught here for a quarter of a century. (Pictured, from right
to left: Mary Perrini, Bill Creach, Mike Bohaty and David
Steinberg.)

Stein-Written Plays

Produced

Why he chose that

Scoundrel Scapin as
his first play at Miege:
The students I talked
to kept saying Lets
do a comedy, lets do a
comedy and I thought
Scapin was a funny
play that the Miege
community could enjoy.
Comedies are always
popular, and I think
this one will be received well.

2,418 26

Steinberg: By the Numbers

Productions

I expect to instill in the

students a respect for the
potential of the theater,
and hopefully broaden the
expectations of the
audience.
~David Steinberg

Years
at

students taught

Years Teaching

(Approximate)

Miege

Compiled by Andrew Jezak

I believe drama students in high schools are generally not

challenged by the scripts that are presented. Too many drama
departments underestimate the student capacity for understanding
and executing serious dramatic literature, whether it be comic or
tragic.
~David Steinberg