Stags Get Down at the ‘80s Mixer Bishop Miege High School In the Miegian... Volume 55 Issue 1 p. 8: Joplin Mission Trip September 2011 p. 10: Remembering 9/11 p. 15: Metro Pro Wrestling The Miegian photos by Leah Kouri Concussion Awareness: Miege Priority Gorden Fills Role as Teacher and Coach post-concussive symptoms. By: LukeWheeler By: NiyahMiller News Miege school nurse Mrs. Maura Peterson a daily basis. “I just want my students to reach their ternating between offensive and defensive focused said, “...if they’re diagnosed with a concussion, full potential as learners, and maybe a little history days. He expects focus, hard work, and determina- staff writer staff writer the goal is to have them repeat the test to compare will stick, too,” he said. tion from his team at all phases of the game, from According to the department of Neurological results. It will be a doctor trained in ImPACT testing H e practice to game Surgery at The University of Pittsburgh, “62,000 that decides when they return to play.” Strong- Miege’s new history teacher, William Gor- says Miege day. concussions are sustained each year in high-school willed athletes may not like the fact that they have den comes to Miege from Oklahoma City, by way of carries a tradi- Mr. Gor- contact sports.” This year at Bishop Miege, school to sit out when they have concussion symptoms, but Rockhurst. tion of enforc- den says he lives administration and coaches are trying to prevent the culture of contact sports as a whole is changing Mr. Gorden described himself as smaller ing excellence in the moment, athletes from suffering multiple concussions in to protect athletes. than most of the kids during his first two years at inside, as well driving a 2011 short span of time by having them take a baseline Side effects from head injuries are very Bishop McGuinness High School, where he also as outside the Toyota Camry. His test known as “ImPACT” (Immediate Post- serious. According to The Athletic Advisor, “The played baseball. He said he was the awkward type classroom, and hobbies include Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing)” after effects of a concussion, post concussive and what one would call a “small-fry.” His sopho- he likes that reading books, Joey Fisher, junior offensive and defensive syndrome, can linger for days or weeks. Concussions more year of high school, he was in English class, tradition very one of his favor- lineman on the Miege football team, took the are an unfortunate side effect of collision sports and he was called on to read. Well, Mr. Gorden much. Mr. Gor- ites is “Ordinary baseline test at the beginning of the season. “We such as football and hockey. They range in severity being the “little” guy that he was, a high-pitched den also likes People” by Judith had to see patterns, and sometimes we had to look from the minor (“he just had his bell rung”) to major squeak came out of his mouth. His voice cracked. the make-up of Guest. Currently, at shapes and then the shapes would change, and life-threatening brain contusions (“he was knocked The whole class laughed, but Gorden did not give the school and he is reading the we had to pick out the original shape,” said Fisher. smooth out”). up. He tried to re-read the first sentence, but his the emphasis “Biography of Joe The test also uses changing colors and shapes to test Miege has been very active in concussion voice cracked....again! Taking pity on him, the girl placed on Ca- DiMaggio.” Mr. the reflexes and memory of the athletes. prevention and has made strides in diagnosis of behind him tapped him on the shoulder and said, tholicism. Gorden also en- ImPACT testing takes around 20 minutes head, neck and back injury. The girls’ soccer team “It’s okay. I’ll read now.” This joys going to the and is designed to give a baseline reading of the began wearing the Force Field headbands last Going into his junior year, Mr. Gorden coming spring Royals games, neurological function of each athlete. According to spring, and the football team has been promoting decided he liked working with young people and Mr. Gorden hanging out with the ImPACT website, impacttest.com, this testing and using the Xenith helmets. Xeniths give more wanted to become a teacher. He taught at Rockhurst will be the friends, playing “measures verbal and visual memory, processing room for the head and brain to move and slow High School for five years, before coming to Miege. head baseball tennis, working on Mr. Gorden teaches history and has high coach. He said art projects, and speed and reaction time.” The test is optional for down, rather than stop abruptly with the brain Mr Gorden has assumed a teaching role in the social studies de- all athletes at Miege, but head football coach Tim still accelerating, causing it to slam into the skull, expectations for his students in the classroom. He practices will working out. expects excellence, meaning their very best effort on consist of al- partment and will be the new varsity baseball coach this spring. Grunhard has made the test mandatory for his creating massive trauma. photo by Larissa Lamas players, as have most other football coaches in the The Centers for Disease Control and KC Metro area. Prevention say, “Athletes who have ever had ImPACT is not limited to diagnosis of a concussion are at increased risk for another concussions. According to the ImPACT website, concussion,”and that “Children and teens are more “ImPACT’s concussion assessment and cognitive likely to get a concussion and take longer to recover Miege Alumna Joins Staff testing software can help guide athletes, parents, than adults.” ImPACT testing can identify previous coaches and doctors through the concussion concussions, even if they were not detected at the tions,” Mrs. Carman said. a school with great school tant coach for the cheerlead- recovery process.” The program makes it easier time that they happened, and will help trainers By: NiyahMiller Although Mrs. Car- spirit and a strong sense of ing squad and moderate the to identify when an athlete is medically ready to and coaches make the right decisions before risking man was very shy, her de- community. “I am excited to Anime Club. return to play, or if he or she is having lingering further injury to their student athletes. staff writer sire to become a teacher was be a part of the Miege com- Outside of school, far greater. She said that her munity, and I want my Mrs. Carman’s hobbies Mrs. Amy Carman is Algebra I teacher made her students to feel I was include reading the not “new” to Bishop Miege, realize that she liked math, a part of the valu- “Harry Potter” series, Band Welcomes In Its Newest Member but she is new to the Miege and that lead her to become a able education they and spending time staff. Mrs. Carman is the new School. She was a member of, NHS, SADD, Thespi- Illinois. Boylan is a much bigger school than Miege teacher. received here. I also with her boys. The By: NiyahMiller math teacher, and has taught ans, speech team, pit orchestra, scholastic bowl, stu- is, so coming here is a big change for her. “Miege is After college Mrs. want to teach at my 41-year-old drivers for ten years. dent council, pep band, marching band, jazz band, smaller and has a close-knit community feel,” said Carman taught English to el- alma mater,” Mrs. her 2002 Toyota staff writer Growing up in show choir, symphony orchestra, concert choir, var- Mrs. McGinnis. ementary students in Japan. Carman said. Camry to go Leawood and Mission, Kan- Emily McGinnis is the new Miege band di- sity choir, senior one acts, and varsity golf. She said Mrs. McGinnis said she hopes to continue She learned there that her Her to the park sas, it was natural that she rector. Mrs. McGinnis is from Freeport, Illinois. In she was very goal-driven and liked to keep very the band tradition of the previous director while calling was to teach and that favorite Miege to swim with would attend Bishop Miege addition to teaching, she plays trumpet in the KC busy, so she was involved in many activities. also increasing the number of students in band, inspired her to pursue her traditions are Owen and in high school. The then Amy Wind Symphony, Heritage Philharmonic Orchestra, When she was in eighth grade, she decided and raising the level of musicianship.” Her goal is dream as a teacher. Mrs. Car- the all-school Neil. Zamierowski was involved and she substitutes for other ensembles as well. She she wanted to be a teacher. “I’ve always loved mu- to make band fun, and make band a “team” activ- man married Chet Carman masses and the in drill team and yearbook, also gives lessons at Meyer Music. sic, and my sister was majoring in music education, ity, where each individual feels apart of the success and they have two sons, Neil, class retreats. but she was not all that social. She married her high school sweetheart so I realized I wanted to do that, too,” Mrs. McGin- of the whole group. She expects the willingness to 4, and Owen, 6. She vividly The new Miege band in- “I was very shy and quiet, JP McGinnis. JP is a second-year med student at nis exclaimed. learn, play and try new things from her students.