8O Feature Articles

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Dear Reader,

Everyone has a story. Every person on this planet has gone through unique experiences and witnessed things that only they can retell. We often get caught up in our own lives, in our own troubles, successes, and unique experiences, and we forget to think about and marvel at the stories of others. It is through these stories that we find inspiration, selfless acts of kindness, and sacrifice. These stories are what help us discover the beauty and goodness around us.

Whether it is the story of a healthcare worker or a first responder who puts their health and safety at risk for the well-being of another, or the story of a teacher or a parent who devotes their life to bettering the lives of children, it is important and worth telling. These are the people who change the world and are constantly working to improve it not for themselves, but for others. Unfortunately, these acts of kindness usually go unnoticed and unappreciated, and these stories are never told. Mrs. O’Dowd’s eighth grade class took the opportunity to tell the story of someone in their lives that they see bettering the world with their actions every day.

Students were asked to select an individual to interview about a certain aspect of their life. After the face-to-face interview took place, they composed a feature article about their chosen individual. This article was meant to highlight an everyday person’s unique quality, hobby, lifestyle, career, or ability in a way that flatters their interviewee and emphasizes their claim. The students worked to incorporate important details, anecdotes, and quotes, and use strong and meaningful word choices that gave their article a formal tone.

After much hard work, Mrs. O’Dowd’s eighth graders are ready to publish their articles and share with you the qualities and experiences of an amazing person in their lives. They are prepared and excited to share the stories of these people who are constantly motivating them to do good for this world. Be inspired not only by the work of these students, but by the stories and good deeds of the people they chose to interview.

Sincerely,
Isabella Monachello

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Table of Contents

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Table of Contents

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1. Cover Art designed by Will Book
2. "Dear Reader" Letter by Isabella Monachello
3. Table of Contents designed by Jude Wunder
4. Avery Boltz
8. Connor Skahan
10. Tommy Barnes
12. Jacob Kolich
16. Nicholas May
20. Matthew Kucenic
24. Max Burns
28. Charlotte Cindrich
32. Megan Prendergast
34. Grady Herrington
38. Abby Fay
42. Kendall Potter
46. Jordan Boone
50. Felicity Koehler
54. Isabella Monachello
58. Addison Burke
62. Clare Steinlage
66. Nathan Reiter
70. Grace Kissell
74. Katie Donnelly
78. Jude Wunder
82. Dylan Zeller
84. Lucy Hacker
88. Will Book
92. Chris Rocha

The High School Football Experience

Ethan Boltz

How can playing a sport impact your life in the most beautiful way? That is something I ask myself after interviewing my brother Ethan Boltz. Ethan is a 16 year old sophomore from Shawnee, Kansas. He plays football and attends St. James Academy. Ethan, wearing his crimson or bright white uniform with the big number 20 on it, has a great story to tell. He is a hardworking and dedicated athlete, who has not only learned how to be a better player, but how to be a better person and strive in life. Ethan says he plays because he likes, “hittin' people,” but he also stated that, “there’s more of a family and brotherhood aspect.” Those few words really speak to who Ethan Boltz is as a player, but also a person.

Typical Practice and Game Days

Middle School VS High School

Ethan’s days are full of diligence and assiduousness. His practice days usually start off with position warm-ups. Position warm-ups are when you are separated from offense and defense, and you go to your offensive or defensive position. Next, his team does live drilling. Live drilling is when you play the ball out, offense versus defense. On game days they first start off with chapel talk, which is where they talk about the Gospel for the day. Then they have a team meal, which leads into them getting ready to head to the place where they will be playing. Next, after they have made it to the field, they do warm-ups. The warm-ups usually consist of throwing the ball around, position warm-ups, and live drilling. Finally, it’s game time!

I learned that Ethan has enjoyed the competitiveness and brotherhood of high school football, whereas in middle school there weren’t really those same aspects. Middle school was friends playing football together. There wasn’t really a family type feel to it, just guys going out and having a good time. Despite their differences in fellowship and aggressiveness, he got to play the sport he loves. To go along with that, in both, the team huddled together and said a prayer before the game started. Although they have their differences, they also have their similarities.

The High School Football Experience

Middle School VS High School

I learned that Ethan has enjoyed the competitiveness and brotherhood of high school football, whereas in middle school there weren’t really those same aspects. Middle school was friends playing football together. There wasn’t really a family type feel to it, just guys going out and having a good time. Despite their differences in fellowship and aggressiveness, he got to play the sport he loves. To go along with that, in both, the team huddled together and said a prayer before the game started. Although they have their differences, they also have their similarities.

Avery Boltz
2-22-21

Brotherhood

Ethan enjoys getting to “go get bigger” and be around the people he’s formed a family with. In fact, he is always happy and ready to play. Ethan stated that the hardest part was having to work hard, but he knows that by doing that you can grow and start winning. He has also grown a strong bond with his teammates, which has made the whole high school experience way more enjoyable. Ethan said that they, "make fun of each other," and are always having a blast. Ethan knows that football can be rigorous, but with his teammates by his side, he can have the time of his life.

In Conclusion

The Impact

Football has impacted Ethan in many ways, and he’s rarely had a dull moment in his experience. He made way more friends and has learned an eminent amount. Football taught Ethan that,

Ethan definitely has his tough days, but at the end of the day he comes back, works harder, and gets stronger. One of Ethan's accomplishments was winning state this year. His high school, St. James Academy, has never won state. By doing this, Ethan's team made history for the school. He stated that his goal was to, "win state three times," by the time he graduates. Ethan's advice he would give to incoming freshmen or somebody joining the team is to be kind, respect everybody, and try to make many friends.

As you can see Ethan Boltz is a diligent and assiduous athlete, whose life has been greatly impacted by playing high school football. I have never learned so much about a person in just under ten minutes. Ethan truly inspired me and I know he will do the same for others. His two years in high school have truly been eventful, and I have no doubt that that will change for the upcoming two years. Ethan has made new friends, gotten stronger, learned how to face adversity, and has grown a deeper connection with God. He is a one of a kind kid, and anybody who gets the chance to meet him would be extremely lucky.

¨Not everything goes how you want¨

In Conclusion

As you can see Ethan Boltz is a diligent and assiduous athlete, whose life has been greatly impacted by playing high school football. I have never learned so much about a person in just under ten minutes. Ethan truly inspired me and I know he will do the same for others. His two years in high school have truly been eventful, and I have no doubt that that will change for the upcoming two years. Ethan has made new friends, gotten stronger, learned how to face adversity, and has grown a deeper connection with God. He is a one of a kind kid, and anybody who gets the chance to meet him would be extremely lucky.

Click here to watch a video of Ethan's team winning a game!

By Connor Skahan

A Day in the Life of a Dermatologist

Imagine this: Waking up at five in the morning, sleepily removing your warm covers and rolling out of bed. You walk downstairs, grab your cup of joe and you're off. You will be driving for an hour in the dark and arrive at your office at dawn. Most people would be waking up at this time but not Dr. Michael Kucenic, because he has already started his day. He will mask up and walk into his office ready for any challenges the day has to throw at him.

But before success comes lots of hard work and dedication.

Dr. Michael Kucenic started his schooling just like anyone else with four years at Kansas State University (KSU). He studied biology, and at the end of his four years he got a degree in biology. Then after his four years at KSU, Dr. Kucenic went on to University of Kansas Medical School (KU) to get his degree as a Doctor of Medicine. After getting his Doctorate at KU Medical School, Dr. Kucenic stayed for another four years to study dermatology. That ended the bulk of the schooling, but he still had a long way to go. He moved to Indiana and attended Wake Forest University for a year. This is where he started a paid research project in medicine. After this project, he spent a year at Indiana University where he did pathology research. A pathologist is a person who looks at skin under a microscope to see if you have any diseases. In total he spent fourteen year to become a dermatologist.

But with success also comes lots of hard work and dedication.

The state of Kansas requires all

“I would say it's wanting to gather new information but there is a lot thrown at you and it can be overwhelming, and things can get out of hand,” Dr. Kucenic also said, “I am the type of person to sit at the front of the meeting because there is always something new going on and I want to be a part of that.”

doctors to have at least fifty hours per a year of continuing medical education. These are conferences that medical experts give to one another to share their information. These conferences are like going to class, and the teachers will give you lectures over what type of medicine you are practicing. These conferences, held all over the country, can require you to travel and visit many new places. They provide vital and valuable information so doctors can help their patients with their medical needs.

As we know, COVID-19 has changed many things for many people. For example, older people are at higher risk of getting COVID so it has discouraged them from attending their appointments. Without COVID, about 80% of his clients were elderly and 20% were younger people. Now, due to COVID, that’s the complete opposite. One of the other differences is how people wait for their appointments. Some of them will wait in their cars for a text message to come in while others will come in and sit six feet apart from the others.

It's five o’clock in the afternoon and Dr. Kucenic is pulling into his driveway after a long day's work. He walks in the door, sets his bag under the table and sits down for a meal with his family. After time with his family, he lays his head on the pillow and falls asleep knowing what good job he's done and how he's helped his patients live longer and happier lives.