By Ashley Warnke

One of Dominican’s most spiritual and bonding retreats is still continuing. The leaders for Kairos 6 were finally selected by Mr. Reyes from the various students who applied. The leaders are listed as follows: Bizzie Gonring, James Luy, Katie O’Neil, Braxton Brown, Erin Brauer, Robert Blumenberg, Caroline McGuire, Drew Doring, Ann Hagner and Charlie Jurgens. The retreat will not be until next fall but the planning has already begun!

The new Kairos 6 leaders.

Katy Schuele explains that past participants are intrigued to apply to be leaders “because the Kairos retreat really moved us and made us want to help others feel the same emotions we experienced.” She continues by explaining how it was such a powerful retreat and how her Kairos 5 leaders really helped make the experience sentimental for her.Schuele and previous Kairos 5 leader Nick Burns were selected as this year’s alternative leaders.

Students tend to be most anxious for this retreat because of all the secrets it holds. “Participants are not given much information on what to expect which adds to the anticipation,” leader James Luy explains.

With the seniors leaving they are reminiscing about some of their best times at Dominican. Charlie Sparrow explains, “This retreat bonded my grade the most. It made us feel connected and secure with each other. I will never forget this experience.”

The Kairos 6 leaders will meet throughout the summer and when school starts in the fall. The leaders are already anticipating the new connections they will make with next year’s junior class on Kairos 6. Doubt the first, cry the second, experience the third, live the forth.

Seniors Jenna Burr, Meg Murphy, and Alex Teppler after graduation.

The end of each school year at Dominican always brings mixed feelings. Although some seniors, such as Michael Hoelter, “can’t wait to get out of here,” others such as Meg Murphy think high school went too fast and “can’t believe it’s almost over.”

This year’s Baccalaureate mass was celebrated by Father Charles Mbuyi on Thursday, May 27th and the graduation ceremony is scheduled for tonight, May 28th. 
After the seniors completed their exams on Wednesday, May 26th they were no longer expected to come to school. It was no surprise that the atmosphere changed immensely once the seniors were gone.
“It felt like they were on a field trip and that they would be coming back the next day. I’m still in denial that they won’t be here anymore. It’s unbelievable because I feel like I just graduated from 8th grade and next year I’ll be a senior in high school,” comments junior Tess Gronski.

This sentiment seems to be shared by many underclassmen as well. Sophomore Michael Linn says, “At first I was happy they were gone, but then I realized how much the seniors mean to me and how involved they were in my everyday experience at Dominican. I’m really going to miss them.”
They will surely be missed. Recently, junior yearbook staff member Katie O’Neil, in an attempt to figure out a Photoshop problem, addressed the empty chair beside her where her senior editor Jessie Galioto-Grebe once sat. “It was weird because I honestly expected her to respond to my question,” O’Neil said.

Even though the class of 2010 will no longer be attending Dominican, the gifts and talents they brought to the community while they were here will not be forgotten. As demonstrated by the yearbook staff, their spirits will forever remain with the underclassmen they counseled and advised.

With only exams left next week, and the senior graduating tonight, May 28, summer excitement is filling the hallways of Dominican. Another thing is filling the hallways as well: heat. Temperatures skyrocketed to mid 80 degrees this week, and continue rising! Students had complaints as well as words of excitement on this issue.

Due to the recent rise in temperature, Dominican students have been finding ways to deal with the heat.

Dominican’s lack of air conditioning led to a massive increase of fans filling each classroom. “We had fans blowing every where! it was some what hard to hear the teacher talking, but it was definitely worth it! I was sweating and could not focus with the intense heat boiling the classroom,” exclaimed freshman Caitlin Gronski. Many agreed, and also requested more fans to be added. Luckily, students were allowed to sit outside on North Campus during the lunch period over the past few weeks. The contrast between overheating in a classroom and enjoying the heat outdoors was a sigh of relief for the students. “It was a good break from the stale atmosphere of Dominican’s cafeteria. The cafeteria was over heated, just like the school, so it was so nice to actually get fresh air, and feel a few breezes every once and a while,” exclaimed junior Sarah Moede. Senior Trevor Porter also agrees that being allowed outdoors during the day is a good break, “it makes his cool juice box taste ever so much sweeter.”
   

Another downside of this insane weather is students and dress code. Many students are trying to get away with shorter shorts or skirts and out of uniform shirts due to the uncomfortable situation the heat causes. “I’ve been trying to wear only under shirts or shirts without a collar so i can get a better breeze and not get so sweaty throughout the day. Most students are doing this as well; some can get away with it. Hopefully i won’t get in trouble,” expressed junior Drew Doring. Today, Friday May 28, is a dress down day for the juniors, sophomores, and freshman. It is a good celebration for the last official day of school, and a chance for the students to not be so over heated in their class. 
   

Despite the heat, students are willing to deal with it in exchange for summer next week! Enjoy the nice weekend outdoors!

It seems only appropriate that we write this together.  

After over a semester and a half of organizing, leading, proofreading, and arguing, the memories are numerous and haunting.  WordPress was slower than molasses in January.  The arrival of The Progress Chart was a day to be remembered.  More professional conversation was accomplished on Gmail chat than in person.  ”Eval Fridays” were actually scheduled for Mondays and Tuesdays.  And the day was not complete without a visit from a random wandering student.  Oh, and WHERE IS THE THREE-HOLE-PUNCH!?!

The Journalism class of 2009-2010 will forever be remembered as the class that came out of chaos and put together, despite drama and even tears, the most efficient student-run news source Dominican has ever seen.  Though as editors we’ve complained to everyone in the hallways right after class, we have come to truly enjoy our time spent with the motley crew that came to Pubs 200 during period four.  The improvement we have seen in articles and attitudes is remarkable and we are proud of the work we have published on the site.  We will never forget the meetings where we simply quoted and made up Onion/Eggplant headlines or the days when Denita would bring in her latest recipe creation.  We’re sure Mrs. K won’t miss the Journalism students wreaking havoc in the library, but we will surely miss the photo shoots on the iMac’s Photo Booth application.  

We’d like to thank the following for their continuous hard work and for bringing life into the classroom.

LeAnn Vance for her appearance on The Progress Chart.  The yearbook staff for their nonstop musical renditions.  Erika Kopp, Luke Starke, and Teddy Balistreri for their devoted presence in room 200.  Lily Vartanian for finding all the objects lost throughout the year.  Denita Ross for making delicious treats.  Jenna Burr for her fabulous hair advice.  Dylan Mooney for getting all his articles in on time.  Ashley Warnke for her donation of gum.  Christina Hill for her cooperation and for her generously in spreading her knowledge of the Jonas Brothers.  Ashley Stern for her cupcakes.  Mariela Shanti for her sunny disposition.  Meg and Annie Murphy and Mallie Carroll for their effort and good attitudes.  Patricia Alaka for her laughter.  Mr. Tomsey for his gift of freedom and tolerance when things were chaotic.

This year sure has been a roller coaster.  As we move forward with our lives, we will never forget the journalism class of 2009-2010.  Though we will try our hardest to forget the atrocious sight of the room after lunchtime, the people who have inhabited the space will always remain in our hearts.  Thanks to all of you for a great year!

And of course, we can’t forget our readers.  Thanks for actually reading the site!  

By Mary Alice Carroll

On May 21^st Dominican High School hosted its annual Honors Assembly during which the senior class was recognized for their hard work over the past four years.  The assembly took place at 9 am so the entire student body attended along with many parents.  During this assembly many seniors received honor cords and tassels.  The Class of 2010 had 89 students and racked up a class total of $6.9 million in scholarship money.

Friday, May 21, the senior class enjoyed the Honors Assembly where honors were given out and schools were announced.

The Honors Assembly is known as the longest assembly of the year for many underclassmen, but for seniors, it is a time to be rewarded and acknowledged for consistent hard work.  The Dean of Students, Brian Geittmann, began the assembly by speaking directly to the seniors.  He told the class that they were full of, “success and talent” and that they have “shown it throughout all four years at Dominican.” Along with hard work in the classroom, many students are rewarded for their work in sports, art, and service.  Each department chair rewarded a senior for their dedication to a certain subject. 

 Hans Wustrack, the Math Student of the Year winner, explained that he was, “pleased with this years Honors Assembly, it was nice to see people being rewarded for their hard work- I am proud of my class.”

 The most anticipated awards of the entire assembly are those that the seniors vote on themselves.  Each year a senior is voted to represent each of Dominican Core Values: trust, compassion, justice, community, and partnership. These awards went to Sam Bazan, Blanca Sierra, Jessie Galioto-Grebe, Tanya Outemzabet, and Jessie Bazan.  Faculty member and alumni, Sarah Connell explained this class as, “a great group of kids.”  Connell went on to say that, “I think that any of them could win these awards, and many who were not recognized are also very deserving of awards.” 

 The class of 2010 was an extremely accomplished class.  Although a select juniors won awards this year, there is much more for the juniors to look forward to next year.  Graduation will be held on Friday, May 28^th at 6:30 pm.  The Valedictorian, Ali Piatt, and Salutatorian, Nathan Bredeson will be speaking.  Anyone is welcome to attend graduation to congratulate the exceptional class of 2010.

By Teddy Balistreri

I know that we will never forget our experiences at Dominican High School. Dominican goes further than academic education. At Dominican we learn how to be individuals. We learn that all people are worthy of our respect and Jesus’ teachings are reinforced through the examples set by the staff. I have had many inspiring educators at Dominican and I want to name a few that stood out to me as particularly great. Mr. Schreiner, Mr. Tomsey,  Mrs. Mueller, Mr. Gnadt and Sr. Vicki have all inspired me in their areas of education. Dominican students are lucky to have such dedicated and intelligent individuals to learn from every day. I hope that in the future Dominican continues to be such a great place to go to High School and that the things that make it great never change.

By Mary Alice Carroll

Senior softball team member, Jessie Bazan enjoyed a great senior night game at Helfaer Field.

On Friday, May 21^st, the Dominican girls softball team suited up to play their annual game at Helfaer Field at Miller Park.  The girls took on Brown Deer at 7 o’clock, and dominated the game ending it after five innings.  The end score was 10-0.  Along with this exciting game, the team also hosted an alumni and parent game on Saturday.

The Brown Deer game on Friday night was a great Dominican event.  Many students and faculty went out to Miller Park and enjoyed the cookout.  The evening held up and stayed warm all night which made all the fans comfortable.  This was also a special night because it was senior night.  The team recognized seniors, Jessie Bazan, Ashley Stern, and Denita Ross.

“Our team would not be the same without the seniors, they push us to always play hard and they make the team much more fun,” stated sophomore, Jojo Wycklendt.  The seniors led this team to a great season.  The leadership displayed by Jessie Bazan during the Friday game was inspiring.  The first two pitches she threw were strikes, and after every good or bad play she brought the team together on the pitchers mount.

“I don’t know much about softball, but I bet Jessie could strike out some of the guys on our team,” is what Will Curtis, a member of the baseball team, said about Bazan.  These girls have been working extremely hard this season.  They have made many changes to the way the play, and they have also improved the softball program.  In the coming seasons the softball team will be forever changed.  Hopefully next year the cookout with have just as many fans, and the team will come out with another blowout.

By Dylan Mooney

Failing to contain the largest oil disaster of the century, British Petroleum will now attempt to stop the leak by pumping high density liquids into the fractured pipeline.

Already skeptical of this procedure’s success, officials who have inspected the pipe contemplate additional methods of closure. These methods include the implementation of cement seal, which would permanently block the flow of oil, or the temporary installation of a larger containment dome to capture rising oil.

In addition to experiencing an expected realm of hostility for constructing a potentially hazardous deep-water oil-line, BP faces retribution from the Environmental Protection Agency, which now reports that during initial relief efforts, BP used a toxic chemical dispersant to absorb the spill.

Since oil began to spew nearly a mile below the surface of the Gulf, BP has released over 700,000 of this toxic dispersant, the largest quantity ever deployed to alleviate an oil spill in American history.

“BP in my mind no longer stands for British Petroleum — it stands for Beyond Patience,” said Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate. “People have been waiting 34 days for British Petroleum to cap this well and stop the damage that’s happening across the Gulf of Mexico.”

Anxious to see that oil executives be held legally responsible, and that the government’s response be monitored, Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, a Republican, said Monday, “BP is the responsible party, but we need the federal government to make sure they’re held accountable.”

Confronted by disgruntled Louisiana residents, whose businesses largely depend on the vitality of this ecologically susceptible coastal region, BP must now respond to an array of lawsuits, likely as wide as the spill itself. In addition, this catastrophe makes painfully evident the greater risks involved with dependency on this volatile, polluting source of energy.

“Why are we willing to trade sustainable local seafood, tourism and recreational jobs for destructive, polluting ones?  When will our legislators begin to move towards bringing us jobs from clean energy development, rather then hanging on to the past and continuing to support social and environmental destruction in the name of the economy?” begs Tracy Kuhns, an established resident of the coastal region.

Ashley Stern poses with her latest book, The Host.

Stephenie Meyer, best known for writing The Twilight Saga, is also the author of The Host. The Host is a more mature novel meant for older audiences. not to say that it is tasteless, however. Twilight is much more a young adult or teen novel. In The Host, Meyer uses style and tone similar to her other work.

The Host is the story of both Melanie Stryder Wanderer. Wanderer comes from an alien species that invade a planet in order to “help it”. This species improves planets by becoming the native species; they do this by injecting themselves into the mind of the host species. The host usually is lost forever while their body lives on with a new occupant. These aliens know little of humanity, and underestimate its strengths while condemning its weaknesses. The Souls as the aliens are known, fell watered down emotion, they love everyone around them equally and want the universe to be a peaceful happy place. For the most part, the Souls have no knowledge that what they are doing is destroying cultures.

Much of the story involves the relationship between Wanderer, the soul and Melanie, who refuses to relinquish her body. Wanderer and Melanie spend most of the novel in an underground stronghold of some of the few “wild” humans left. Wanderer slowly falls in love, real human love, with Ian, an inhabitant of the camp. While Melanie continues to love Jared. This strange and complicated love triangle of sorts provides for and excellent story.

Meyer uses some science-fiction cliches, and reuses the ideas of love that she used inTwilight, but as a whole the book  is a great read. Meyer addresses issues such as humanity, love, and Utopian society. Orson Scott Card, author, said, “no matter how much pain her characters suffer, Meyer infuses the tales with light and hope”.