Hayden Higgins: More Than a Student Manager
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December 14, 2018 Volume 55 Issue 3 changePius X High School 6000 A Street, Lincoln, NE HaydenX Higgins: More than a student manager Kate Linderman and Elise Wilhelm Editor in Chief/Sports Editor Senior Hayden Higgins is considered to be far more than just a manager to many of the senior basketball players. According to many of the senior players, Higgins has been a positive influence in their lives on and off the basketball court. “He’s pushed me to be a better person because he always has a smile on his face and he just lightens up the room,” senior basketball player Charlie Easley said. Higgins is a boys basketball manager, mainly responsible for mopping the floors, keeping the stats book at JV games, and most importantly, supporting and motivating the varsity players from the sidelines. “He’s always there to give you knuckles,” senior basketball player Austin Jablonski said. “He’s pushed me to be a better person because he always has a smile on his face and he just PHoto by emma Sutko lightens up the room.” Senior Dominic Pelan fist bumps senior Hayden Higgins after Pelan scored a basket in a home basketball game this season. -Charlie Easley white Paul George 2.5 Nike ID shoes with green and metallic “I just think he’s the nicest guy I’ve ever met in my life,” gold accents. senior Joe Dworak said. “He’s never said a bad word; he’s Other than basketball, Higgins has always had a passion “It has his number on them and on the tongues one says never sad or mad at anything except me if I beat him at a for designing shoes for all sports. He said he started Pius X and the other has my name since he asked me to,” video game. I think he’s just made me a better person in customizing jerseys and uniforms and soon moved onto Higgins said. “He also had me sign them so I had a gold general.” shoes. paint sharpie. I think they look pretty nice.” Higgins has not only been a supportive friend to these “I’ve always just liked shoes,” Higgins said. Higgin’s signature holds special meaning to Jablonski. players, he has taught them many valuable lessons. At a preseason basketball meeting, Hayden presented his “Right away I had Hayden sign my shoes because it’s “He’s taught me to never take anything for granted and to shoe designs to the team. He said many players expressed like he’s out there on the court with me,” Jablonski said. “I always be thankful for everything you have,” Easley said. interest in the custom designed shoes, and Jablonski and know if he could be out there he would be.” “Things could be going bad, but you just have to keep your Pete Blumenstock decided to order them. Higgins customized a pair of Kyre Low Nike ID shoes head up and keep going.” “I kind of just let Hayden run with whatever he thought for Blumenstock. When Higgins was seven years old, he was diagnosed looked good and they turned out really well,” Jablonski said. “I was pretty excited when I saw the shoes,” Blumenstock with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a group of diseases that But when Jablonski saw his shoes for the first time, he said. “Hayden and I had talked and talked about the perfect weakens muscles over time. Regardless of his condition, he was taken aback. design and he would always keep me posted on how far away still brings positivity into these players’ lives. “As I was opening it, I just see a big grin on Hayden’s they were. So he and I had been waiting in anticipation for “When you see someone who’s going through what he’s face and out comes a pair of blue Air 1 sneakers,” Jablonski weeks. When they finally got here, it was like Christmas going through but always has a smile on his face and is said. “I just tried to keep a positive face because I didn’t came early.” positive every day, it can change your entire outlook,” know if Hayden messed up on the order or something, but While Blumenstock likes the look of the shoes, they carry Jablonski said. it turned out that he was just duping me.” a deeper meaning for him. Higgins has been a role model to many of his friends. Higgins then gave Jablonski the actual shoes, a pair of “I wear these on the court not only out of respect for “To me, Hayden is a really good example of what it means everything Hayden to be a really good friend to everybody and a perfect example does for our team, of making the most of every day,” senior Nick Staab said. but for Hayden,” Senior Holton Harman agreed. he said. “He works “He makes us realize how special everything is and how hard every day lucky we are,” he said. sweeping floors, Higgins has touched the hearts and lives of the Pius X keeping book, and boys basketball team, brightening the gym each and every keeping score. By day with a smile on his face. wearing his shoes on the court, I feel that Hayden can “He makes us realize how take pride and say he contributed to special everything is and the team.” Jablonski and how lucky we are.” Blumenstock debuted Higgin’s -Holton Harman designs against Lincoln Southeast “Hayden is not just a manager; he’s my friend,” on December 7. Blumenstock said. “I’ve gotten to know him over the past Higgins has two years I’ve been here and I don’t think I’ve ever met impacted these someone with such a positive attitude and outlook on life. players in more Hayden is a role model to me and I look up to him every PHoto by kate LinDerman ways than just day. I am so glad to have met Hayden and I am grateful to basketball. have him in my life.” Shoes designed by senior Hayden Higgins for senior basketball players austin Jablonski and Pete blumenstock. News & Opinion Features Sports Entertainment Building addition update Final exam study tips State volleyball recap Downtown adventure Page 2 Page 4 Page 6 Page 8 2 News December 14, 2018 Construction continues to move along on new addition Lucy Koenig the addition will be an ensemble to turn off the air conditioner to will add ease to many teachers’ work available. News/Opinion Editor room for the rapidly growing music hear our speeches. We have to give days. At the moment, many teachers Korta is most excited about the department. up our comfort to be able to listen,” have to move from classroom to design of the addition. Progress has been made on the “I am excited for the addition sophomore Alexis Markowski said. classroom to teach. With the new “I think it’s going to be a bright addition construction that was because it will open up more Heating is being installed, causing addition, very few teachers will and open space. There are some announced last September during the opportunities for members of the the upstairs hallway between the 260 have to move around based on design features, that as they are annual grandparents and founder’s choir department,” sophomore and 250 hallways to be closed off. preliminary numbers run with this talking about how to finish the space, day celebration. It is a $5.5 million Emmalee Cockerill said. It is estimated to take up to two to year’s master schedule. I think are really going to reflect our project set to be finished in the The ensemble can be used for three weeks to properly install. This Having a new space at Pius X mission as a school.” summer of 2019. sectionals in choir or for classes like was an expected inconvenience, as may bring new ideas and forms of The addition is fixed to include Music Appreciation that do better in is the parking situation. learning that were not previously 16 new classrooms which will allow a traditional classroom setting. Much of the west parking lot has PHOTO more space for incoming students. Finally, three new art classrooms been taken up by construction, and “Move in dates from a year out are will be added. The previous students can often be heard voicing always kind of sketchy, you never classroom held every type of art their complaints. B Y LUCY KOENIG Y LUCY know what can happen,” principal class offered at Pius X. Soon, there “We’re pretty accustomed as a Tom Korta said. “A lot can happen will be separate classrooms for school to everybody being able to between here and there to slow it Ceramics and Art Fundamentals get parking. For a long time, this down or speed it up, but we expect to as well as one for Painting and was not the case,” Korta said. be able to move in for sure in time to Drawing. He is referring to the current start using that space for next fall.” At the beginning of the 2018- area of construction before it was The much needed addition will 2019 school year, students noticed bought. At that time, not even be comprised of a variety of classes. some changes. The unfinished A all the seniors and juniors were These include a new industrial Street sidewalk was an unexpected guaranteed a parking space. arts classroom with an adjacent inconvenience. “We knew long term we weren’t computer lab, named in honor of Portable air conditioners had to be going to keep the parking,” Korta the first industrial arts teacher at brought into the school in the early said.