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Xavier High SchoolNews2

The XpressBiweeklyXavier High School 6300 42nd St. NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52411Volume 15 Issue 1

Editors-In-ChiefAnna Busse

Cassie BuschCopy Editor

Carolina VonKampenNews EditorDaniel Pape

News AssistantQuinlan Moran

News WritersCarolina VonKampen

Maria Efting

Nicholas Mlodzik

Opinion EditorBryan BanowetzOpinion Assistant

Peyton RosencrantsOpinion WritersHannah Gibbs

Brennan Graeve

CJ Lampe

Morgan Noonan

Gina Reiman

Chloe Streif

Ben Valentine

Student Life EditorJenna Fenske

Student Life AssistantColette Miller

Student Life WriterLauren Lutgens

Mini-Feature EditorAnna White

Mini-Feature AssistantAmeena Challenger

Mini-Feature WriterRachel Brady

Feature EditorMegan Lynch

Feature AssistantRobbie Thinnes

Feature WriterMary Esker

Health and Lifestyle EditorAnsley O’Brien

Health and Lifestyle AssistantHannah Chute

Health and Lifestyle WriterMolly Vipond

Arts and Entertainment EditorMaddie Smith

Arts and Entertainment AssistantEmma Hunt

Arts and Entertainment WritersLauren Van Hoeck

Payton Janney

Meghan Gerke

Ashley Pudil

Sports EditorJohn IngwersenSports Assistant

John RichardsonSports Writers

Alex Fox

Connor Collins

Shannon Mulcahey

Kyle D’mello

Lizzy McWhinney

Backpage EditorNicole Draker

Backpage AssistantMcKenzie Potter

BusinessHailey SojkaDistribution

Brennan Graeve

Xavier’s summer of serviceOver the 2012 summer, 40

students continued the Xavier tradition of giving back to others by participating in service trips to Guatemala and Tennessee.

Following the dismissal of school on May 25, Xavier students began packing their bags and preparing for their departures. Senior Bryan Banowetz was optimistic and ready to go to Guatemala again. “I was excited to go for a second time, and was able to focus less on tourism and more on service,” Banowetz said. 23 students and five Xavier teachers went to Guatemala for ten days, June 4 through 14, as a part of the God’s Child Project. While in Guatemala, the students built six houses, visited an orphanage, and helped with a clothing drive, among other service activities. This trip to Guatemala was sophomore Greta Gustafson’s first mission trip. “It was nice to get out of the country and to help those in need,” Gustafson said.

Also over the summer, June 9 through 16, 17 female Xavier students and three chaperones traveled 19 hours by van to

Memphis, Tennessee to attend a Catholic Heart Work Camp. Each day of the work camp was faith-based and service filled, with a daily morning Mass, an evening prayer service and rosary, and volunteering in the community from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon. The girls performed various service activities throughout the week. They painted, cleaned, participated in home improvement projects for elderly residents, did yard work like raking and mowing, and babysat children. According to Junior Mary Esker, it was a rewarding experience. “I would definitely

Left: Xavier girls pose for a photo at Catholic Heart Work Camp. Above: Meredith Diebold shows a young boy her camera. Angela Olson photo

37 Xavier students attend Leadership SeminarBefore school started this year,

a group of 37 Xavier Saints were back in the classroom preparing to be leaders in the 2012-2013 school year. They met on July 31 for what would become Xavier’s first ever Leadership Seminar.

The students who attended the seminar were all recommended by the Xavier faculty. In order to have the most productive day possible, teachers were asked to nominate students with outstanding leadership qualities. Many students were nominated, but to keep the group size reasonable, students with the most recommendations were asked to attend.

According to Principal Keating, there were two main purposes for the seminar. The first was to enhance the positive climate at Xavier and motivate students to excel. The second was to give students the tools and strategies they need to be the best they can be.

During the seminar, Xavier

teachers gave the students motivating messages. The various topics included respect, community, integrity, perseverance, faith and service, and responsibility. After each speaker, the students participated in small group discussions

over each particular topic. One of the highlights of the

day was when the students were asked to come up with five words to define the upcoming school year. After thoughtful consideration, the students decided on the words acceptance, belief, community, inspiration, and integrity. These words were put on posters that now hang in every teachers’ room. The posters serve as a silent reminder to the qualities and virtues the Xavier community will emulate this year.

Junior Nina Noronha had a positive experience at the seminar. “My favorite part of the day was coming up with our five words to follow. It really summed up the entire day and gave us something to work for and remember the rest of the year. It showed us what Team Xavier is all about.”

Plans are in place for more leadership seminars in the years to come.

Maria Efting News Writer

Nicholas Mlodzik News Writer

do it again. It was an amazing experience being able to work by people that were so grateful and being able to share my faith with so many teens,” Esker said.

Whether it was service in Memphis or Guatemala, Xavier students served the less fortunate this summer. Xavier plans to continue volunteering with the God’s Child Project and the Catholic Heart Work Camp in the summer of 2013.

The five leadership qualitites that Xavier students exhibit during the year. Maria Efting photo