May
14
Senior Editor, Signing Off
May 14, 2012 | Features Column | Comments Off
By Catherine Cojocaru, Editor
So, here we are. The final month—to cherish our friends, to finish off classes and extracurriculars on a good note, and to agonize about how the closer graduation approaches, the days seem to drag on. It may be cliché to say, but this truly is a very bittersweet time for seniors and their families. We are ready to test our wings outside of the boundaries of high school, but are afraid to fall into the novelty of college life. We may have grown tired of being with the same classmates each day for four years, yet cannot bear to think about what it may be like to not see these friends again for a long time. We are looking forward to our independence with joyous spirits, but wonder what we will leave behind.
This is the point at which I would typically give advice. But as a soon-to-be graduate, my existence is basically an embodiment of the exuberance and uncertainty all seniors are feeling—when discussing the future; I can be listless and overjoyed in the same minute. But I can say this much: we won’t forget this place. Sure, high school may not have been “the best four years” of our lives, but I’m certain we all have learned something, encountered someone, or experienced a feeling that has irrevocably changed us—and for the better. As Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Even after we’ve left Lourdes for decades, something will undoubtedly come up that reminds us of a memory we spent here. We may drift apart and become entirely different people from who we were in high school, but one thing that will not change is the fact we once called Lourdes High School home.
To the entire Eagle Online staff—it’s been a truly unforgettable experience. We have shared successes, worked through problems together, and always striven to promote journalism as a vehicle to spread a message of hope. Never stop writing, and always remember that what you do is remarkable.
This is Cat Cojocaru, signing off.
May
14
Spring Finds Home
May 14, 2012 | academics, Teacher Feature | Comments Off
By Catherine Cojocaru, Editor
English teacher Miss Mary Spring is fondly regarded throughout the Lourdes community for her high academic expectations and charming personality. The Eagle Online was privileged to sit down with her and shed a little light on some of her perhaps-unknown attributes.
Miss Spring grew up in a very active family—she is the fourth of ten children. As anyone could guess, being part of such a large family has its trials and joys. The most difficult thing, she says, was the fact that all twelve family members had to share one bathroom. However, the positive things tended to outweigh the difficulties. One of her most fond memories of growing up is “traveling to Myrtle Beach and having Christmas all together in a small hotel room with very simple presents…and being on the beach together, despite a typical temperature of forty degrees.”
This family definitely did not let its size prevent its members from seeing the world. Ms. Spring has lived in over eight different locations in her lifetime. One of her favorites is Maine, where she lived when she was in the fourth grade, due to the beauty and proximity of the ocean. However, the location that had the most impact was Hungary, where she lived during her senior year of high school. “It’s the place I really grew up,” she says, “a place that is completely different from who you are and what you know invites you to become a different person.”
However, this Minnesota native did not stray far from home when it came to finding her current teaching job. She had been living and teaching in New Jersey when her brother, who was teaching at Lourdes at the time, told her about an open position in the Theology department. She interviewed with former LHS principal Denny Nigon and got the job. She taught
Church History for about four years, and then was able to interview for the position she had always wanted—that of an AP Literature and Composition teacher. She has taught literature, including the AP course for five years now, and the thing she loves most about teaching is “watching things click for the students—hearing them deliver answers that aren’t prompted.” For example, during the poetry unit of AP Literature, “students come in not understanding what to do with the poems at all, but then have epiphanies.”
Of course, when interviewing a literature teacher, one question is unavoidable—what is Ms. Spring’s favorite book? Her favorite contemporary novel is My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok, because “Potok puts you in the middle of the situation and allows you to understand the decision between personal passion and culture that Asher had to make.” Her favorite classic novel is Homer’s Odyssey. “It examines what it really means to be home. Because I have lived in so many places, home becomes more than just the house.”
May
14
By Michael Medlyn
Every year in Mrs. Brown’s Literature II classes, the students read and write sonnets covered sonnets. They read some sonnets by the great poets; William Shakespeare, Sir Thomas Wyatt, and Edmund Spencer.
Most sophomores interviewed said writing their sonnets was hard, and sometimes fun.
They also agreed that the hardest part was finding a right word or a different way of phrasing some lines. What was the second hardest? Choosing what to write about, retorted some 10th graders.
Others thought the iambic pentameter was annoying, especially when some words didn’t fit. Surprisingly, most sophomores had a very enjoyable time writing their sonnets.
According to Jessica Hastings Ereth “Sometimes it can be easy to understand, and sometimes it’s really hard.” That leaves just one question; what rhymes with orange?
May
9
The Epic Duel Between Wizards
May 9, 2012 | Features, Features Column | Comments Off
By Kayla Koranda, Editor
It’s time to answer that age old question of who is the better wizard: Gandalf the White or Dumbledore? Debated for the 21st century, this question will finally be looked at from the point of view our high school community.
Students from Gandalf the White’s (or the Lord of the Rings series’) side argue that he is the greater wizard because he is, after all, a white wizard after defeating the Balrog. Another subject that comes up is the fact that Dumbledore died during the Harry Potter series. “Since Dumbledore died and Gandalf lived on, he should automatically win!” stated Chris Huhn, a junior at Lourdes. Many students also based his winning on the fact that he has a staff instead of a wand, and he says the line “You Shall Not Pass!” In the end, the tally of votes for Gandalf stood at forty-two votes.
Students from Dumbledore’s (or the Harry Potter series’) side counter the debate with the fact that even though Dumbledore died, he did find the first few horcruxes and help Harry begin his quest to kill Voldemort. Senior Rachael Brandt gave the reason that “His beard is longer,” and that therefore makes Dumbledore better. Also, some say a magic wand is better than a
staff because it is easier to carry and more useful in battle. The final count was forty votes for Dumbledore
In the end, Gandalf the White scored the most votes and therefore is deemed as the greater wizard over Dumbledore, although it was a very close count. One thing that is for sure is that the legacy of these two wizards will live on for centuries to come.
May
8
Health Fair Takes Place at Lourdes
May 8, 2012 | Activities | Comments Off
By Leah Ellman
The Thursday of April 12th was not just an ordinary day. Something was happening in the front lobby of Lourdes.
Poster boards had been set up at stations to be explained by knowledgeable people, students were stopping at different stations and listening intently to what was being said, and the occasional student in a carrot suit could be found either in the lobby or advertising healthy foods to the rest of the school. What exactly was happening? The health fair, of course! Many groups had come to our school with information about healthy lifestyles.
There certainly were many things to be learned. One of the groups, The National Alliance on Mental Illness, quizzed students on the symptoms of depression. On their board was a long list of famous people in history who were known to have had a mental illness – including Sir Isaac Newton. Another station by myplate.org allowed you to create a meal and then find out if it was healthy for you. There was also a distracted driving simulation (which, judging from the crowd of students, was quite popular), and a station about the effects of caffeine. These were just a few of the many booths providing information.
Shawn Sperry, who attended the fair, said that “It provided the students at Lourdes High School with the opportunity to learn about healthy decision making.”
The health fair (along with the carrot costumes) will be back again next year.
May
1
Mrs. Sally Adams Requests the Pleasure of Your Company
May 1, 2012 | Activities, Music, Update | Comments Off
By Victoria Smith
The LHS spring musical is once again underway, and this year’s show is a musical comedy entitled Call Me Madam, music and lyrics by Irving Berlin who also penned such musicals as White Christmas, or Annie Get Your Gun. The musical takes place in the early 1950′s and follows Mrs. Sally Adams (Emma Tschann/Catherine Cojocaru), during her time as ambassador to Lichtenburg, a fictional European country. Featuring multiple show-stopping dance numbers, the musical’s star-crossed romances and dastardly schemes are still relevant to today’s audience, proving that nothing ever really changes in love and politics.
The performances will be divided between two casts (though many actors are in both). Divided roles are as follows:
Cast 1: Emma Tschann as “Sally Adams” / Natalie Nation as “Princess Maria” / Emily Walsh as “Duchess Sophie” / Kayla Koranda as “Congresswoman Wilkins”
Cast 2: Catherine ‘Cat’ Cojocaru as “Sally Adams” / Erica Stiller as “Princess Maria” / Rene Stiller as “Duchess Sophie” / Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Sherman as “Congresswoman Wilkins”
Performance dates are as follows: Cast 1 will be Wednesday, May 2nd at 7:30 pm. Cast 2 will be Thursday, May 3rd at 7:30 pm. Cast 1 will be Friday, May 4th at 7:30 pm. And Cast 2 finishes Sunday, May 6th at 2:00 pm.
Performances are at Rochester STEM Academy (formerly Studio Academy), 415 16th St. SW, Rochester, MN 55902.
Apr
30
How the Underdog Created Cinco de Mayo
April 30, 2012 | cultural | Comments Off
By Kate Mayhew, Editor
Here is a question for you to think about: What is Cinco de Mayo?
If you answered, “It is the celebration of Mexico’s independence,” well, sorry, you are wrong. However, do not chide yourself for this because most people have been falsely led to believe that Cinco de Mayo is the day of Mexico’s independence, largely due to American influences. In actuality, Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. In order to understand how this battle happened, it helps to know why the French were in Mexico in the first place.
The nineteenth century was a rough time for Mexico. Soon after the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848, Mexico had to face another war, a civil war. Following these two wars, Mexico was left broken and bankrupt. As a result, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium on July 17, 1861 stating that foreign debt payments would be suspended for two years. This heralded trouble for Mexico, and soon enough, trouble did come. England, Spain, and France invaded Mexico with the mindset that they would do anything to get their payments. Eventually, England and Spain withdrew. The French began to advance in 1862, but on May 5, 1862, the Mexicans had the upper hand. Ill-equipped, five thousand Mexicans charged at and killed nearly one thousand French soldiers.
Though a minor victory, for the Franco-Mexican war waged on until 1867, the Battle of Puebla served as an impetus for the Mexicans to keep fighting. They had been the underdog who miraculously defeated the stronger opponent. Cinco de Mayo is a symbol of unity and strength, of how conviction and confidence of heart produce desired results. This holiday is not celebrated nearly as much in Mexico as it is in the United States of America, however celebratory festivities are similar. These include mariachi bands, folk
dancing, native foods, and parades. And if you are ever in Los Angeles during Cinco de Mayo, look out for a mob of 500,000 people gathered at City Hall- you might be stuck in traffic for a while.
¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Apr
30
A Career of Being Blessed by Those Surrounding
April 30, 2012 | Teacher Feature | Comments Off
By Rene Stiller
In 1961, Helen Reichert graduated from Lourdes High School. As a member of the band, cheerleading squad, National Honors Society, student council, and the theater program she was very involved in the Lourdes community. She still is today 44 years later. For 24 years Helen Reichert, now Helen Restovich, has taught at Lourdes. Before coming to LHS to teach, she taught in St. Paul as an elementary school teacher for a few years before returning to college to earn her master’s degree. Since then, she has taught in schools from Louisiana all the way to Minnesota, and they were all Catholic schools.
Somehow both she and her old high school buddy Jerry Hrabe ended up back at their old high school, but this time they were the ones in the front of the room speaking. Mr. Hrabe and Mrs. Restovich were in the same graduating class and were very close in high school. Mr. Hrabe went on to work in the English and Social Studies Departments at Lourdes while Mrs. Restovich taught in the English and Theology Departments. Neither had imagined teaching as their calling and were very surprised to find themselves both teaching at the same school. Mrs. Restovich had originally thought of becoming a social worker, though her father wisely advised her to take a teaching course just in case. As soon as she spent time in a classroom for student teaching, she was hooked; she became a teacher.
Looking back at her high school years, she revealed that most of her teachers were nuns who were rather strict. They added structure to the school and kept everyone in line. At that time, most days started with Mass in the Auditorium. “Lourdes is a real family, community of people who care and are compassionate. It comes from praying together,” she says.
Mrs. Restovich describes her Catholic education as being invaluable, saying, “It really shaped where I am today.” Coming from a very religious family, Catholic education was very central to her life. She recalls the highlight of her elementary school days as being chosen to crown Mary in May in her 8th grade year.
Another part of her Catholic education that didn’t come directly from her schooling came instead from her sister. Katherine Reichert had graduated from LHS in 1956 and went on to become a Holy Cross Sister. Towards the end of her sister’s life, Mrs. Restovich spent about eight hours a day with her, trying to get all of the wisdom about life from her sister that she could, as she helped her sister write papers on theological topics. She wanted to understand who Christ is and follow Him as well as possible. Mrs. Restovich said, “My greatest beliefs and knowing who God is comes from my sister.” She said that the most important lesson she has learned so far was from her sister. Katherine told her, “Living each day is so important. On Judgment Day, God will ask, whom did you bring with you? Who were you good to?”
When Sister Katherine Reichert passed away, Mrs. Restovich helped set up a scholarship program in her sister’s name. The scholarship is awarded to incoming freshmen to Lourdes that attended St. John’s the Evangelist School.
Other than teaching Mrs. Restovich has many loves; reading, dancing, and gardening. She says she has been blessed to have “been in the presence of so many Christ-like people.” Mrs. Restovich is so good to her students, and just like she learned from her teachers and role models, we may learn from her.
Moderator’s note: The Katherine Reichert CSC Scholarship, and many others, can be found on the Lourdes Foundation website: http://www.lourdesfoundation.org/scholarships.php
Apr
16
Get Some Culture at Lourdes
April 16, 2012 | academics, Activities, cultural | Comments Off
By Erica Stiller
Colored flags, exotic goodies, and Zumba. What do these things mean to you? Absolutely nothing, unless you go to the Cultural Fair on Thursday April 19th and Friday April 20th. Students are invited to join in the festivities in Alumni Hall from Mods 3-18 during both days.
Every year, the students at Lourdes High School get to experience other cultures from around the world all at the same time through the Cultural Fair, hosted by the Foreign Exchange Club. Many are excited to experience the great pleasures of the Latin, European, Asian, and Middle Eastern countries that will be exhibited by their fellow classmates.
A few sneak peeks include henna and Zumba Dance-Fitness, both major favorites from past years. Henna will be available both days and the Zumba instructor will be there to groove on Thursday, Mods 15-17.
The Foreign Exchange Club would like to point out that the event is meant to be fun, inspiring and interactive experience. All students are invited to visit during their open mods, eat the food at the cultural booths, and learn about the many foreign countries. Music will also be provided to add to the fun atmosphere of the fair. The general excitement for the food, the music, the Henna, Zumba, and the exhibits heightens as the fair grows ever nearer.
See you at the fair!
Apr
13
By Tonya Eberhard
Despite being a remedy for a tied tongue that cannot express itself, poetry is not easy. Even with written words coming to the rescue-there is still a battle. The mind wrestles with the pen who fights the paper; words have a tendency to come out twisted and tangled- sometimes so distorted even the author cannot decipher them. And there is always the struggle of getting your point across. Oh no. Where did that gibberish come from? Definitely not what I am trying to say. Blank page. Start again.
Where do the ideas come from? A question I am sure every well known writer has heard. My answer? A simple, I do not know. I have been writing since I was a little kid and that it is the question that has always stumped me, because, well, I have no clue. Sure, ideas may formulate on the edge of sleep, in uncanny dreams, on tedious drives home, but where from and why- is a mystery to me.
Getting a poem published every now and then is fulfilling- a feeling that hard work has finally paid off. Not necessarily satisfaction of recognition- Hey, see this? I wrote that. It is more a sense of accomplishment knowing an exchange of ideas is possible. Maybe there is someone who can relate to carefully chosen words. Or instead, there is that person who just stares at the page, wondering what the heck I am talking about. That’s okay too.
A lot of English teachers say, write about what you know. Well, yes, it is important to think about what you know and commit it to paper. But so many people know how to think, yet not know how to feel. Write about feeling. Not necessarily what you feel all the time, after all, it is not always about us. Think, yes, but feel also, it will open doors you never knew existed.
Moderator’s note: Lourdes Senior, Tonya Eberhard, is a published poet. Her work can be found in publications such as SELCO’s Poetic Strokes.
The Eagle Online Poetry Day will be April 27th, mods 4-17 in the Lourdes High School Library.
