MOUNT MICHAEL BENEDICTINE SCHOOL

22520 MOUNT MICHAEL ROAD

ELKHORN, NE 68022

VOLUME 16, ISSUE 2

THE MOUNT

Beckman Embarks Upon Spiritual Journey

Kunkel Joins Community as Drama Director, Guidance Counselor

With all the changes coming to the Mount, two things seem to remain the same: Father Stephen’s busyness balancing up to seven classes a year, and a struggling drama program. But, fear not, this year Mount Michael welcomed a new drama director and guidance counselor, Noelle Kunkel. Kunkel is taking half of the college planning students; this puts a slight ease on Father Stephen’s hectic schedule. She also plans to turn around the drama program as director. One phrase that describes Kunkel well is “life-long learner.” Kunkel has a bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff in English Education, a Music Endorsement from Wayne State College, and a master’s degree in School Counseling from Creighton University. As if this track record wasn’t good enough, Kunkel is currently working on a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Creighton as well. Kunkel comes to Mount Michael from Omaha South High School, where she spent one year as a guidance counselor. Before South, Kunkel spent a year at Wakefield and a year at Beemer, and an impressive nine years at Roncalli where

she was also the drama director. “Mount Michael is a tremendous change from South because South has over 2,300 students,” Kunkel said. She noted that Mount Michael’s boarding program is also different from anything she’s experienced. However, Kunkel says she feels right at home. “I really feel like Mount Michael has a tremendous family atmosphere, and that is what I missed working at my previous school,” Kunkel said. “It’s wonderful to feel part of a community and know I have the support of those around me.” Noelle is married with one daughter and said that her husband, Dave, will be seen around, helping her build the sets for her plays.

With the help of Brother Roger, Kunkel plans to direct a play this fall, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Show.” Set on Christmas Eve, 1946, in a radio studio, the actors will air a radio version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Auditions in early September produced a solid cast of actors excited to get behind Kunkel’s ideas for the production. The show will be performed on November 15 and 16. “I think it is a great way to start the holiday season,” Kunkel said. “I look forward to sharing it with the Mount Michael community.”

Kunkel’s extensive knowledge of guidance counseling and directing certainly brings excitement to the students and promise to the development of the guidance and drama programs. “Mrs. Kunkel has been a joy to work with,” said Senior Steven Jeoung who is working as stage manager for the play. Kunkel

offers more than just her experience in education; she brings a new friendly face to the Mount Michael community, going out of her way to comfort the students on a daily basis. She is more than just a new teacher; she is an inspiration, encouraging life-long learners and leaders among the student population.

Jackson Taylor | Editor-in-Chief

Sung-Han Yoon | Staff Writer

Noelle Kunkel works hard to balance her schedule of directing and guidance.photo by Brian Kim

What’s Inside

Nebraska Football Struggles (Page 6)

What Goes On at a Mount Michael Pep Rally? (Page 4)

Omaha’s Hottest Haunted House Review (Page 8) his is the beginning of a

new chapter in my life and will not end until God calls me to be with him,” Nicholas Beckman, former senior, said. Beginning at age 12, Beckman, began thinking of becoming a priest. While attending World Youth Day in Australia, he had an amazing experience. “I felt the call but God told me to be patient and to wait.” The same thing happened when he returned to Spain for

another World Youth Day. However it was different when Beckman went to Brazil during the summer of 2013. “I was called to serve God and the Catholic Church. So I discerned my vocation. I stood up to be a priest.” Beckman felt the call and was given a blessing by the archbishops and cardinals in Brazil to ask God to keep his vocation in his heart. On September 17 Beckman took off for Italy in order to choose a seminary in which he will serve. Beckman

explained the process: he arrived in Rome on September 18, from there he took a three hour bus ride to Porto San Giorgio, Italy. In Porto San Giorgio he met with other candidates at the “tent” as it was called, but Beckman described it as “more like a spaceship looking thing.” At the end, a rector from a seminary came down and pulled out names from a vase. Later on September 21, Beckman learned he would be sent to start a new seminary in Philadelphia with

“TNick Beckman this view in Italy while on his journey to become a priest.

photos courtesy of Nick Beckman

“I felt the call but God told me to be patient and to wait.” - Nicholas Beckman

photo by Brian Kim

photo courtesy of scaryacres.com

photo courtesy of huskers.com

22520 MOUNT MICHAEL ROAD

continurd on page 4

Jackson Taylor-Mount MichaelHeadlines

MOUNT MICHAEL BENEDICTINE SCHOOL

22520 MOUNT MICHAEL ROAD

ELKHORN, NE 68022

THE MOUNT

Gone But Not Forgotten: Nate LaFave Leaves Mark On Community

VOLUME 16, ISSUE 3

OCTOBER 31, 2013

In This Issue:

In Depth on Human Rights in Congo

Pages 4-5

photo courtesy of www.telegraph.co.uk

New Outlet Mall in Gretna

Page 8

photo courtesy of www.ketv.com

Twitter Spreads Love For Nate

Death is never easy. Especially when it happens so suddenly, and to one with so much to live for. But now that he is gone, it is a great time to celebrate his life. And sophomore Nate LaFave led an incredible one. Lafave was an accomplished student, a standout athlete, and a beloved classmate. He was a guide, a brother and an inspiration. His passion for what he loved and his affection for his brothers made him one of the most endearing members of the Mount Michael community. Lafave was someone who everyone loved and will surely miss. In his short time here, Lafave got the most out of the Mount Michael experience. As one of the brightest members of the class of 2016, he thrived in the classroom.

Classmate Matthew Coghill agreed, “He always put academics fi rst, and his work ethic was unmatched in our class. He easily would have been our class valedictorian.” For many, Lafave was more than the smartest person in the class. “He was defi nitely the most intelligent person I’ve ever known,” sophomore Jack Hitzemann said. In addition to his success in the classroom, LaFave thrived in athletics. As a freshman in cross country, Lafave quickly became one of the

best junior varsity runners in the school, surpassing a number of more experienced

teammates. He also fl ourished as a soccer player. “In athletics, he was one of the hardest working people on the fi eld, no matter the sport,” classmate Alex Miklas said.

Lafave managed to accomplish all this despite being held back by a number of health problems, including kidney stones

Harrison Hohman | Editor that put him in the hospital days before his death. However, he always managed to see the bright side of everything, health issues included, as evidenced by his tweet following a procedure: “I’m so blessed for the friends and family I have right now, especially my bros from Mount Michael.” Regardless of his talent, all who knew LaFave could agree that his most lovable quality was how he treated his friends. “He was pretty much the best guy you could think of. He knew everyone, never got angry and was friends with everybody,” Coghill said. In remembrance of their fallen brother, the sophomores, led by Jack Morrissey, began selling dogtags with his name, dates of birth and death, and the phrase: “Brother, Knight, Friend,” the proceeds of which will go to LaFave’s family. In addition to purchasing mementos, the sophomore class also collected sticky notes from each member of the class with phrases or stories about LaFave to decorate the door to his old room. Despite these heartfelt reminders that celebrate LaFave’s life, nothing tangible can fi ll the hole in the community’s heart. “As a class, we just don’t feel the same without him,” Coghill said. Admissions Director Eric Crawford may have said it best when he stated at Lafave’s wake, “Nate was the perfect knight.” He was an athlete, a scholar and a friend to all. Nate stretched the limits and was an outstanding role model for any member of the Mount Michael community. He will be missed.

The sophomore class collected sticky notes with phrases and stories about Nate to place on the door to his dorm room.

photo by Brian Kim

photo by Brian Kim

Jackson Taylor-Mount Michael

WHAT’S INSIDE

THE MOUNTMOUNT MICHAEL BENEDICTINE SCHOOL 22520 MOUNT MICHAEL ROAD ELKHORN, NE 68022 VOLUME 17, ISSUE 5

Cooper Wilson | Staff Writer

Uwinganji Emerges as Wrestling Star

Mrs. Maier Improves Student Life

Corruption in the Olympics

In-Depth: The Selfie Phenomenon

photo by Brian KimSenior David Uwinganji dominated in an early December meet, defeating a Creighton Prep wrestler.

PAGE 3

PAGE 6

photo courtesy of www.theguardian.com

photo courtesy of www.twitter.com

He never would have guessed it. “I saw how hard wrestling was and I wanted to challenge myself,” senior David Uwinganji said. Throughout the past two years, Uwinganji has emerged as a leader for the Mount Michael wrestling team. Uwinganji now believes wrestling was the right fi t all along.

When Uwinganji attended his fi rst wrestling meet, he was introduced to its aggressive nature while watching his best friend, senior Austin Ramaekers. “I saw Austin struggling on the mats. It made me feel so bad that I wanted to run down the bleachers and go help him out,” Uwinganji said.

Although he’d never thought about joining the team before, something about wrestling made his curiosity grow. “It seemed really unfamiliar to me at fi rst, but I decided to give it a shot,” he said. Uwinganji’s interest was solidifi ed during a conversation with Ramaeker’s grandmother. “Austin’s grandmother was a big motivator in my decision. She urged me to help out the team, and I am so

happy with my decision,” Uwinganji said.

A few days after his decision to join the team, he began to feel more confi dent about his choice. “I learned

martial arts back when I lived in Rwanda which gave me the basic concepts to wrestling. I just needed to learn how to use my size, fl exibility and strength in a different way,” Uwinganji said. However, success on the mats did not

come immediately. He found himself doubling his work ethic in order to prepare for the season. “I would wrestle Connor Spiegel, a senior at the time, in order to push myself to become a

better wrestler,” Uwinganji said. With the extra effort, Uwingaji soon found himself winning matches and becoming a threat to opponents. His fellow wrestlers appreciate his hard work. Senior teammate Austin Ramaekers says, “Wrestling with Uwinganji you know that he will never quit and he has a great work ethic. He always sets the tone at practice,” Ramaekers said. Unfortunately, Uwinganji suffered a setback in his fi rst season. During districts he injured his knee and was unable to complete the season. This only made him more motivated for next season. “After the injury,

I was disappointed. I wanted to fi nish the year strong but the injury made me want to come back as an overall better wrestler,” Uwinganji said. After a few months of rehab, he was ready to hit the weight room to regain his strength.

Young Joon Park | Features Editor

‘Selfletes’ Smackdown on Social Media Scene

photo by Brian Kim

The Sochi Winter Olympics are not the only Olympic Games to watch out for. Recently, the Selfi e Olympics has called on thousands of its selfl etes (like athletes) to compete in the global tournament with the motto of “Faster, Higher, Stronger, Twitter.” With 42 million selfi e related hashtags on Twitter just in 2013, it is obvious: 2013 has been the year of selfi es. At the end of 2013, Oxford Dictionaries announced “selfi e” as their international word of the year. “The frequency of the word selfi e in the English language has increased by 17,000% since this time last year,” Oxford Dictionaries said. A quick recap of the past year shows that the honor is well deserved. Selfi e notoriety began in late 2012. Since then, the trend struck English-speaking countries all over the world including the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, and the Philippines.

In these countries, the front facing camera has rendered its brother on the other side obsolete. Instagram was a prime benefactor of this craze. At the end of 2013, Instagram announced that it had accrued 150 million users. The site, launched in late 2010, provides an enhanced photo sharing experience for its users. Today, it is known as one of the selfi e powerhouses of the world. The company’s database holds 14 billion selfi es, raking in hundreds of millions of likes per day. Snapchat was also jumped into the selfi e craze this year. The photo sharing service allows users to send photos that will self-erase after a set amount of time. Now installed in an estimated 22 percent of all iPhones in the United States and Britain, “Snap” selfi es have become popular. Armed with the beauty of self-erasing photos, Snapchat allows users to take selfi es that are more novel

and daring. A few selfi es rose to prominence over this past year’s bonanza. The so called “$1,500 selfi e” went viral when

Omahans Kayleigh, Emily, and Torrie Hill rushed onto the fi eld during the College World Series fi nals. Despite the $1,500 fi ne, they managed to capture

The “Selfi e Olympics” have taken over the Internet, with the most popular ones (seen above) spreading virally over social media.

photos courtesy of www.twitter.com

PAGES 4-5

January 2014

(continued on page 7)

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Jackson Taylor-Mount Michael