3D Art Makes Pretzels

Mrs. Jopson's 3D Art class ventured to the kitchen on Friday to make pretzels. 
According to CatholicCulture.org The pretzel is the most appropriate food symbol in Lent. It consists only of water and flour, thus proclaiming Lent as a time of fasting. In fact, it was the ancient Christian Lenten bread dating as far back as the fifth century. In the old Roman Empire the faithful kept a very strict fast all through Lent: no milk, butter, cheese, eggs, cream, or meat. So they made small breads of water, flour and salt. To remind themselves that Lent was a time of prayer, they shaped these breads in the form of arms crossed in prayer (in those days they crossed their arms over the breast while praying). Therefore, they called the breads "little arms" (bracellae). From this Latin word the Germans later coined the term "pretzel."
"We learned the hard way about 'uniform consistency' and how difficult it is to shape the pretzel," said senior Sarah McKinnon.
The tactile learning project tasted great and the kitchen smelled wonderful!
J. Kearney '12

Pictures From the Past

Photographs can portray strong emotions, which make them a moving art form.  Taylor James founded the website http://www.dearphotograph.com/ as a way of connecting the past and present through photography.  The concept of the website is simple: hold up a picture from the past where it was originally taken and take another photograph.  This picture of a picture provokes nostalgia and depending on the situation, love, sorrow, regret, or any number of emotions. 
Dear Photograph became popular as soon as it was created.  Within six weeks, millions of people visited the site and hundreds submitted photos.  Time Magazine rated it one of the best websites of 2011.
The reason for its popularity is the raw emotion found in photographs.  “Photography is both an art form and a way of documenting reality,” said art teacher Mrs. James.
Several celebrities have praised this website including Lucy Hale of popular TV show Pretty Little Liars, Lauren Conrad, Oprah, and the CEO of Twitter. 
Photojournalism students wanted to bring the concept to the school because Mount de Sales is a historic school dating back to 1852 and there are plenty of memories that coincide with the innovative idea of the website. 
“This project celebrates our history, connects us with students who went here 50 years ago, and helps students appreciate the historic building and rich heritage Mount de Sales has,” said photojournalism teacher Mrs. Schorr.
C. Halligan '13

"BAM: Beautiful and Modest"



Project Redesign took this message to heart as the inspiration and title for the Prom fashion show last Friday.  The show, in the music hall during the junior/senior study hall, featured “what to wear,” and “what not to wear” for prom.  The club communicated Modesty is its own beauty; to teach girls that to be beautiful and to be modest are one in the same.   
“Every year for the past several years, we’ve tried to educate the juniors and seniors about good fashion choices for prom.  In the past, we’ve done this with a humorous “what not to wear” prom booklet.  This year, thanks to Project Redesign, Mrs. Schuessler and Ms. Collyer, we’ll be having an assembly with the juniors and seniors featuring a creative power point and fantastic fashion show.  The girls have worked long and hard, and it should be a great assembly,” said Mrs. Lanciotti, vice-principal of student affairs.
Originally, the show was set to have a Disney theme.  However, last week the committee decided on a military-related theme, which is why the girls wore boots with their dresses.  Nine girls modeled dresses of their own and from Stella’s Bridal.  Prior to the modeling portion of the show, there was a PowerPoint showing examples of immodest dresses; dresses girls shouldn’t look for. The girls modeled their dresses on a runway marked off by tape with inspirational music playing in the background.  Ally Schuessler '12 and Mikia Omar '12 provided an element of humor as MC's for the show.
“I think the fashion show is a great opportunity for our girls to see you can wear dresses that are modest and adorable,” said campus minister Shannon Collyer.
We’ve stayed after school every Tuesday, and given up many of our study halls and homerooms.  Over all, it’s been fun,” said committee member Hannah Shafer ‘14. 

K. Holt '13

A Night to Remember

The Father Daughter Cotillion is one of many beautiful traditions at Mount de Sales.
Two seniors in particular this year complete the legacy originated by their sisters many years back. Sarah McKinnon is the sixth daughter of Jim and Mary McKinnon to participate in this event, and Corinne Kavanagh is the fifth daughter of Mary Pat and Brian to walk through the trellis.
“I love seeing how happy the dads are to have a special evening with their daughters. For the seniors especially, the night marks the beginning of several milestone events which culminate their high school years” said Jodi Phelan, mother of two daughters.
 The Father Daughter Cotillion began in 1989 and will be celebrated for the 23rd time this year. This welcoming event was started to honor seniors and provide family friendly event for dads and daughters.
On March 24th each senior will be announced as she walks through a beautiful trellis decorated with the class color, and view a slide show which showcases a childhood photo of her and her father.

“Once the dancing starts, it’s great fun to see the dads dust off their dance steps from a few decades ago and even more fun to see them attempt some new moves” said Phelan. This is Phelan’s fifth year co-chairing the event. She became involved when her eldest daughter was a senior in 2008.



James McKinnon-6                                                            Brian Kavanagh-5
Michele ’99                                                                         Allison ‘04
Janet ’01                                                                              Meghan ‘06
Kerry ’01                                                                              Lauren ‘07
Kathleen ’04                                                                        Morgan ‘10
Anne ’06                                                                              Mary ‘12
Sarah ‘12











McKinnon Family

Kavanagh Family

Sailors For Soldiers


Adam Widner, suffered neck, ankle, and spinal cord injuries when his car was bombed and rolled on top of him.  Adam was the guest speaker at the all-school assembly on Thursday, February 16th. Mrs. Clements, Support the Troops Club moderator, thought the message of courage, strength, perseverance, and faith in mankind had to be shared.
Adam attends Kent State University. He enlisted in the military in 2004 with the goal to help others.  Twelve years and a couple injuries later, Adam gives talks and has helped WWP with fundraising events. Mrs. Clements found Adam through the WWP Speaker Bureau; he is the most sought after public speaker.
 “I want the students to learn that the world is bigger than Mount de Sales, and even though the world isn’t perfect, if we can persevere and try to find the good in everyone, we’ll start to see the good in the world. Soldiers are examples of extreme courage and they need more awareness,” said Mrs. Clements.
Mrs. Clements hadn’t heard the story before the assembly, but from what they’ve talked about in planning this event, Adam has turned his injuries and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) into a positive thing and is trying to spread awareness.
“I thought that this assembly was different than most others because the girls were so engrossed that you could literally hear a pin drop. I think that successfully got everyone pumped up for the 5K that we're hosting in April,” said senior Angela Shipley.
E. Zalucki '12

Sailor Senior Night

               




To make senior night a success, the basketball girls brought dessert and gifts for the two seniors. At 3:00 pm the girls started to decorate the gym, after they went on a Royal Farms Slurpee run with the seniors after school. The girls put their heads together to come up with symbols to represent Kara and Julie to put all around the gym. Because Kara’s last name is Hand, the girls cut out paper hands and put Kara’s name and number on it. Gillis’ symbol was a fish with gills because she is called “Gilly.” At the back of the gym, two jerseys made out of blue poster board were hung up to show the crowd the teams appreciation for the leaders of their team.
Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors appreciate the seniors. From driving the girls before practice to Royal Farms for Slurpees, and being an example of hard work and dedication, the senior sailors are always there for their team mates.  Every year they decorate the gym to show their respect and gratefulness for the senior players.
“Since there are only two seniors this year, we can really make a big deal about their importance to our team,” said sophomore Eve Lukowski.
Kara Hand, starting point guard, has played on varsity since sophomore year. She has been playing basketball since her 1st grade year at St. Louis School in Clarksville.
“Our team really had to work hard because 8 seniors left last year and had many injuries throughout the season, but we have stayed right up in there with the rest of the teams in our league and I am so proud of my girls!” said Kara.
Julie Gillis, also known as “Gilly,” is a guard for the varsity basketball team this year. Although Gilly struggles with her knee pain, she encourages her team.
“I really enjoy playing on this team with all these awesome girls, and I loved seeing everyone progress in their game as well,” said Gillis.
L. Sprankle'13

One Last Week


Last year's seniors enjoy their crabfeast. Courtesy of Amy Meyers


Mount de Sales seniors are excited to go to the beach with their friends after graduation. Packed in cars with all of their belongings, the main goal is just getting  to the beach and meeting up with friends. It’s the annual senior week at Ocean City, MD. Approximately 30,000 seniors from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and even Utah all go to Ocean City. The most popular week is June 2-9, although senior week spans out over a three week period.
“Although I am a little nervous, I think it will be great for the kids to see all of their friends one last time before they go away to college,” said senior parent Larry D’Elia.
Finding a house was one of the most stressful things about senior week. Kids even started to look for a house back in the fall. They wanted a cheap and affordable house, but most importantly one that rented to seniors. A majority of the seniors split up into group of 6-8 people. Houses for that number of people averaged about $1,500-$2,000.
“Planning senior week was stressful because we had to split up our group of friends to get a house, but it all worked out and I am excited,"said senior Emma Talbot.
Another worry about the week was what to bring.  Many houses do not provide linens, towels, paper towels, toilet paper, and paper plates. Seniors are responsible to bring all of the items listed above in addition beach blankets and towels. Also, they should bring laundry detergent if a washer is available, food, and sunscreen.
“I am really excited to be able to be at the beach with all of my friends and get to meet up with old friends ," said senior Courtney Geier.

M. D'Elia '12

Get On Track!



Despite enduring numerous injuries during the season, the indoor track team managed to come together and steal fourth place in the IAAM Conference. The meet was held on February 2, 2012 at the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex. Events began at 3:15 p.m. and continued until 10:00 p.m. when awards were given and winners were announced.

“I’m proud of our team this year. Despite a lot of injuries we all came together to support each other,” said Grace Duffy.

Seniors Becky Leisher, Sara Stupi, Grace Duffy, Courtney Geier, Julie Betta, and Erin McCloskey each wrote a letter to the team for inspiration during their ride to the complex. The team rolled in pumped up and ready to run. Unfortunately, two out of the four members of the 4 x 2 team as well as two members of the 4 x 4 team were rendered injured and unable to compete. Not only were these runners taken out of the relays they were also unable to compete in other long distance, sprinting, and jumping events.

“I was really upset and disappointed when I couldn’t run in championships but I know it meant a lot to my teammates to keep my head up and cheer for them,” said Sara Stupi.

The 4 x 8 team came in second place and broke a school record. Courtney Geier and Allie Wright lost their voices cheering.

The 4 x 2 team played their annual prank on coach and athletic director Gene Williams. Grace Duffy distracted Mr. Williams outside of his office while Sara Stupi, Julianna Shearer, and Courtney Geier placed a live Beta fish on his desk. The prank was almost ruined when Mr. Williams refused to go back into his office and instead travelled to Mount Saint Joe for practice. The girls returned to school after practice to surprise their coach only to learn that he went to get his beard trimmed! The distance coach, Steve Webber, called Mr. Williams to coax him back into his office. Upon his arrival he was greeted with a new bubbly friend.

Prankster Julianna Shearer said “The look on his face was priceless!..I have never seen him laugh so hard!”

C. Geier '12

Sailors for Life Rally in D.C.


Sailors for Life rally with 500,000 others in Washington DC for the 39th annual March for Life.  The weather was cold and rainy on January 23, but 169 girls and 26 chaperones persevered to represent the Pro-Life movement against the 1973 Supreme Court Decision that legalized abortion.

“I decided to go because I’d never been before and I heard it was really fun.  Being prolife is a big part of my life so I wanted to be a part of the March,” said first-time attendee junior Elizabeth Galka.

At 7:30 a.m., Mount de Sales took 4 buses to Mass at St. William of York Church.  After Mass, which was so crowded that people had to stand, there was a breakfast and from there the girls again boarded the buses for the Basilica in Washington D.C.  Finally, the sailors left for the National Mall to await the start of the 2012 March for Life.

“Even though we didn’t go to the Verizon Center this year, I had tons of fun singing songs in the bus and going to Mass in Catonsville before travelling to D.C.,” said Senior Brooke Dignan.

Of the 169 students who attended the March for life either with Mount de Sales or with another group, 45 were freshmen, 50 were sophomores, 49 were juniors, and 25 were seniors.  The sailors finished the March in front of the United States Supreme Court Building, where women who have had abortions gave their testimonies.

“I thought it was really touching when we listened to the stories of moms who previously had abortions.  Standing right by the Supreme Court and listening to what the women had to say really made me see how important our being at the March was,” continued Brooke Dignan.

The March for Life was established as the first “right-to-life organization”and 20,000 people participated at the first March in D.C in 1974, one year after the Roe v. Wade decision.  This decision made abortion legal in the United States and has since taken the lives of about 45 million babies. 

“It’s important for the girls to see that it is a bigger movement than just here at Mount de Sales.  It is a national movement; it is a youth movement,” said Campus Minister Shannon Collyer.

S. Huber '12

Black History Month Inspires History Club


February’s approach always signals the start of an important national tradition, Black History Month. For the first time this year, the History Club was asked to make posters of eight influential black Americans. The club, made up of juniors and seniors, met in Mrs. Natale’s classroom for a lunchtime meeting to discuss their options.
“This is very exciting because we have never been asked to do this before! I want to make sure that we choose historically influential black Americans,” Mrs. Natale, History teacher and club moderator.

The club chose a total of eight influential black Americans including notable figures like George Washington Carver, an important scientist who made several agricultural advancements, and Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, whose anti-slavery actions brought about the illegalization of slavery in Massachusetts. 
“I love being in the history club because we do a lot of fun things that still have historical context, like movie nights. We are even planning a trip to Gettysburg at the end of the year,” said senior Emily Ordakowski
Each member received a person to focus on, some to write a brief biography and others to find pictures. Mrs. Natale’s everyday AP US History class then put the posters together during their study hall on February 3rd.
In the club Facebook group where they plan meetings and activities, Mrs. Natale excitedly posted, “The posters look fab!” She hopes the History Club will be asked to help with this project for years to come. 

J. Kearney ‘12                                                                                                                                          
                   
                                                                                    
                               
                                                                                                                                         

Students Slaughter Teachers in “It's Academic” Competition


In a battle of the smartest, the teachers along with the students competed for the title of the “Its Academic” Champions. Winning with a score of 35 to 21, the students dominated the gym on January 30 during the all school assembly.
“People think the students had the advantage, but they really didn’t. They wrote most of the questions, but I chose them randomly and threw other ones in,” said Mrs. Glose, guidance counselor and club sponsor.
Normally during Catholic Schools Week, the students partake in an activity against the teachers expressing who has the most athletic ability. Mrs. Glose felt it was necessary to show the competitive academic side for once. With a team made up of four girls from the club and help from the National Honor Society, the students went up against the teachers and came out on top. After a rough start, the students began to rack in points hastily.                    
The girls had much practice competing after their début on the “Its Academic” television show. Although the girls did not win against Owings Mills and Franklin, they earned themselves an astounding 290 points.

The club is always looking to grow in size and welcome all who are interested. 
“We are not looking for supernova brains, we just want people interested in trivia,” said Mrs. Glose.
L.Nalley ‘12

A Wacky Creation to Show Appreciation


Wearing a tutu with a 1920s blazer while holding a tongue depressor in your mouth, balancing 2 dice, in a dress from the Mount de Sales production of ‘Bye Bye Birdie,” with a Mount St. Joe’s football helmet, dragging your feet across the floor in a pair of shoeboxes, were just a few of the hurdles that both students and faculty had to endure during the Student Appreciation Day assembly.
Crazy, wacky, and silly were a few words one could use to describe the events of Student Appreciation Day. During Catholic Schools Week, a time to celebrate the importance and significance of education grounded in the faith, schools all around the country take the time to appreciate students, teachers, and even parents. 
“I really enjoyed the Student Appreciation day activities this year because everyone was given a chance to participate; it wasn’t just about volleyball skills,” said senior Bridgette Lappe.

The 5 teams, consisting of seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshmen, and faculty had to race down the gym wearing various items of clothing, while hula hooping, bouncing a balloon with one hand, and sliding down the floor with shoeboxes on their feet. In the second race, the students and teachers had to pull each other across the gym floor in sleeping bags. A game of ‘freeze dance’ followed the other contests.
The relay races and games were created by senior, Kelly Phelan, with the help of Mrs. Schorr. Phelan developed the creative ideas for the activities from her involvement in her youth group.
“We play big group games all the time [in my youth group], so my inspiration came from there. I loved seeing how the students and even the faculty got so into the competition. I learned the potential of getting spirit points has quite an impact.”
H. Cynkar '12

Sailors Rule the Pool!


Sailor Swimming raced toward a third place finish at the National Catholic High School Swim Meet. The meet was held at Villanova and LaSalle Universities in Philadelphia. Mount de Sales finished behind Notre Dame Prep and Spalding.

“It really says something about the competition in the IAAM, that at a national meet, the top three teams are from this conference,” said head coach Courtney Gahagan.
Saturday Preliminaries:
  Sailor Swimmers woke up at 6:00 to caravan over to Villanova. 19 of the 26 girls on the team swam at prelims. With support from Sister Amelia and Sister Mary Celeste, the swim team excelled in prelims. Sisters Amanda and Laura Gretz (‘13, ‘15) were placed in lanes next to each other in 50 freestyle; they tied with a time of 28.33.

“I was hoping that I would beat Amanda because she was winning during the first lap, and I thought I had caught up to her on the second lap. I looked up at the scoreboard, and we just started laughing,” said freshman Laura Gretz.

Sunday Finals:
  On Sunday morning, Sailor Swimming packed up and travelled over to LaSalle University. The swim team was prepared to achieve a top 3 finish after their performance in prelims. With a top 10 finish in almost every event, the Sailors reached their goal.

Notable performances at finals include:
•    200 medley relay–2nd place: Allie Caulfield, Cassie Jordan, Kristen Vargas, Katie Nevin 1:53.36
•    200 IM–1st place: Kristen Vargas 2:10.28
•    100 Fly-7th place: Cassie Jordan 1:01.89
•    100 free–5th place: Allie Caulfield 55.86
•    500 free–9th place: Anna Minnick 5:32.93
•    200 freestyle relay–2nd place: Katie Nevin, Kelly Long, Cassie Jordan, Kristen Vargas 1:43.00
•    100 back–6th place: Allie Caulfield 1:03.80; 8th place: Kellen McDonald 1:04.40
•    100 breaststroke–2nd place: Cassie Jordan 1:08.28; 4th place: Kristen Vargas: 1:08.74
•    400 freestyle relay–4th place: Kelly Long, Alyson Schmid, Kellen McDonald, Allie Caulfield 3:53.87
“When I touched the wall and looked to both sides and didn’t see anyone, I was overwhelmed. I saw the 1 next to my name on the score board and thought ‘It’s amazing what God can do through a little 5 foot flat girl like me.’ But most of all, it was a successful trip knowing that all my swims were for Sailor swimming, and Sailor Swimming alone. That’s what it’s all about in Sailor Swimming, your team. ” said sophomore and National Catholic 200 IM champion Kristen Vargas.
B. Lappe '12


Hoppin' Halftime

Current National Overall Champions, the Kangaroo Kids of Howard County, performed a crowd pleasing performance at the Maryland Men’s Basketball halftime show against Virginia Tech. the Kangaroo Kids is an organization consisting of 200 athletes from all areas of Howard County ranging in ages from first grade through college. The athletes are assigned to a certain team based on age and skill level. They’ve performed at schools, festivals, business and educational conferences, major sporting events, including the Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics and University of Maryland halftime shows, and even at the White House.

Mount de Sales sophomore Lynn Walsh participated in the Maryland vs. Virginia Tech halftime show along with her fellow teammates on the competition squad. “I’ve done tons of Maryland halftime shows, so I was pretty calm. There are always those pre-performance butterflies though,” said Lynn.

“They were so cute and very energetic and one of the Maryland cheerleaders who was a former Kangaroo Kid jumped rope with them and the crowd loved them!” said junior Emily Jordan who was a spectator at the game.

Since Lynn is on the Competition team she practices 5 days a week and has been jump roping for 10 years from when her friend from elementary school introduced the idea to her. Not only does Lynn jump rope but she is also a volleyball player for Mount de Sales. Although balancing a social life with her love of jump rope and high school may seem hard, Lynn somehow manages. “She’s really dedicated and puts so much time into both jump rope and volleyball but she always makes sure to leave time for her friends. You can go to her for anything and she’s so funny,” said close friend Mary Kate Lamm.

Along with halftime shows and volleyball, Lynn performs in the school talent show each year. Over the past 2 years Lynn has become a crowd favorite at the annual show. “You know you’ve done a good job by the way the crowd reacts. The crowd was on their feet so I know I did well. There are always some mess-ups, but I feel the show went great,” said Lynn.

K. Burns '13
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