March 28, 2014 Volume 50 Issue 7 XchangePius X High School 6000 A Street, Lincoln, NE Senior Xposed - 4 Kelsey Brichacek is an energetic and optimistic senior who loves kids, bowling and hockey. Español vs. Français - 6 Students have the difficult and controversial decision of choosing between Spanish and French. Student Managers - 10 Some students handle the responsibility of managing sports teams with the coach. PHOTOS BY JUSTICE COLEMAN 2 News March 28, 2014 ACA DECA team prepares for Clashes in Ukraine Nationals in Hawaii cause unrest among which paid off. Now they’re working twice as hard KATE RAWLINSON European Union Editor-In-Chief to pull off a respectable performance at their first Nationals. For the first time in school history, Pius is “It’s our first time there, so we don’t sending an Academic Decathlon team to Nationals really know what to expect,” Miller said, “but our KATHRYN BUDELL socially among the people of in Hawaii this April. team goal is to medal in the top of every division.” X-Clusives Editor the Ukraine. However, this A fairly recent addition to the school, Pius Each member has individual goals they’ve deal became redundant with the has only had an Aca Deca team for four years. set for themselves, but their ultimate goal is to On Feb. 18, clashes Prime Minister’s disappearance. Each year, the team does well at State, but just this have a good time. erupted in Kiev, the capital Ukraine, made weak year they pulled off their first State win. “It’s just a four-day competition and of Ukraine. Unrest has been through protests and without “We just had the right people this year,” we’re there for a few days longer than that, so we writhing in the country since a political leader, was invaded senior Aca Deca member Abby Miller said. will be visiting a few museums and, of course, the 2004, when their Prime Minitser by Russia shortly afterward. “Everyone on our team is really social and we beach,” Miller said. Viktor Yanukovych was elected. Crimea is the work really well as a team.” The plane tickets and the four competition After years of social injustice southernmost tip of the Ukraine, At the State competition, Pius picked up days will be funded completely by the Academic and economic inequity, the and closely borders a tip of numerous honors in almost every division. Team Decathlon competition, but the rest of the stay is people of Ukraine have gained Russia. This section of Ukraine members walked around the school the day after up to team members. power in protest against the still holds tight Russian bonds with a weighty stack of medals hanging around The team is composed of seniors Miller, leaders of their country. and is sympathetic toward their necks. Senior Stephen Kotopka was even Kotopka, Danny Beals, Claire Henrichson, Robert “This central Kiev Russian forces in the Ukraine. named the high-point individual of the State with Bryant, Matthew Sievert and Nathan Kramer square is like a vision of hell,” Most protesters are against the rest of his teammates not far behind. as well as their teammates Henry Jaros, Philip BBC Reporter Daniel Sandford Russian power in their country. The team had been working relentlessly to Hanigan, Cory Liesch, Lucy Kohmetscher, and witnessed in late February. After many years of bloodied accomplish as much as they were able to at State, Catherine Krueger. Resembling a battlefield, fighting, these people, who Kiev’s Independence Square hoped for independence, was bursting with protesters were only to be oppressed protecting themselves from again by a stronger force. Malaysian Airline plane debris found uniformed snipers. Feb. 18 was Pro-Russian gunmen the bloodiest day in the Ukraine seized the capital of Crimea, in over 70 years, with at least Simferopol, on Feb. 27- in Indian Ocean 88 people dead in 48 hours. 28. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Yanukovych parliament named Olexander disappeared after two days Turchynov interim president. of protesting, to the people’s While Ukraine was on the way KAITLIN VANLOON two sweeps of territory. The two junior Meghan Straub said. Features Editor request. A deal with opposition to recovery from a bloody few arcs expanded from Kazakhstan A flight simulator was leaders was made with days, Crimea was experiencing a to down in the southern Indian found in the house of the pilot and Yanukovych earlier, claiming different story. On Mar. 8, 239 passen- Ocean. now executives are trying to recov- the fairness economically and gers aboard a Malaysian airplane The last, very faint plane er files deleted from the simulator went missing. The flight from signal was heard seven and one over a month ago. Kuala Lumpur was supposed to half hours after it took off. Several When the file is recap- land in Beijing, but had been miss- officials thought the plane was tured many people hope the mys- ing since that night. crashed in the Indian Ocean and tery will be put to rest. The hijack- The Malaysian airplane that it would probably never show ing of the airplane by Pilot Zaharie was announced as destroyed this up. Ahmad seems to be the most popu- past Monday. The Malaysian gov- The police had asked for lar theory so far. ernment pronounced the passen- background checks on all 239 pas- The relatives of the miss- gers as all dead. sengers, as well as, the pilot and ing passengers were growing rest- While many of the pas- copilot. They received all except less and outraged that it took this sengers relatives were relieved to three passengers from Russia long to locate the plane. find out the news, they are also and Ukraine. None of the checks One man’s 34-year-old rooted deeply with sadness for the left officials feeling suspicious. son was aboard the flight. loss of their loved ones. Planes were flying to and fro across “It’s really too much,” Malaysian officials had the ocean and more satellites were 60-year-old Subaramaniam no idea where the plane was, but set up in Central Asia. Gurusamy said. “I don’t know why there was evidence that suggest- The police and the rest of it is taking so long for so many ed it was purposely turned back the world considered a number of people to find the plane. It’s been across Malaysia and went through possibilities of why the plane had twelve days and he’s the only son the Strait of Malacca. 26 nations disappeared. Some of these were I have.” were in on the search for the lost hijacking, terrorism, sabotage and Unhappy and scared plane. mental health issues. relatives were obviously ready Detectives searched for “I thought the pilot prac- for the plane to be discovered, clues regarding the area of the ticed the flight in his home simula- along with the rest of the world. lost plane, and at first only found tor and crashed the plane himself,” March 28, 2014 Opinion 3 Editorial: Same-sex prom dates remain complex issue Can Pius allow same-sex Prom information, can Pius allow same-sex Interestingly, Nebraska has one them in the occasion to sin. dates? At first glace, the answer to Prom dates? The answer is still no. But of the highest populations of gay or As a Catholic high school which this seems obvious; Pius, a Catholic what is a “date”? That’s where this topic lesbian people in the nation. Multiple is an extension of the Catholic Church, high school, clearly can’t permit same- gets tricky. If a girl intends to attend a studies have proven that nearly anywhere it is Pius’ responsibility to ensure the sex Prom dates if they are upholding dance with a friend of hers who is a girl, from four to 20 percent of Nebraskan Church’s teachings are implemented in the church’s averseness to same-sex which happens on a fairly frequent basis, teenagers report to be gay or lesbian, so school, which means that if there is a marriages. Upon further investigation, Pius can’t not allow it. In that light, how one would be naive to assume that that way to regulate gay or lesbian dancing however, the answer to this query can Pius NOT allow same-sex dance population is not represented at Pius. partners, Pius is obligated to do so, just becomes a lot more complex. “dates”? The real issue is that Pius needs as it is obligated to manage what we are The Catholic Church rightfully The fact of the matter is that Pius a concrete policy in response to this taught in the theology classroom or what teaches that marriage is a union reserved can’t draw that line for us. As teenagers question. Pius can’t condone gay or lesbian we wear. solely for a man and woman and not who are or will soon be exposed to a students acting impurely at dances, but In finding an appropriate policy two men or two women. The Church world of standards even lower than some they can’t excuse straight couples acting for this topic, Pius would lead its students also instructs its members to treat gay plunging necklines, we have to learn how impurely either. Every student, regardless toward a more complete Catholic or lesbian people with the dignity and to be honest with ourselves and use the of who their dancing partner happens to education and guide them toward living a respect of any other human being since tools we’ve been given through theology be, owes it to themselves and to God to be life engulfed by the faith even after high they are another of God’s children.